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Routes from Scotland to global hubs like Heathrow and Amsterdam are essential for Scotland’s international connectivity, supporting economic growth in Scotland and helping us deliver our Trade and Investment Strategy. However, we recognise that more needs to be done to reduce emissions. The Scottish Government’s forthcoming update to our 2018 Climate Change Plan, recast as part of a green recovery from COVID-19, will set out a pathway to meeting Scotland’s economy-wide greenhouse emissions reduction targets over the period to 2032. This includes plans to create the world’s first zero emission aviation region and trial low and zero emission aircraft in Scotland. The actual number of flights operating between Scotland and Heathrow in the future will be determined by capacity, demand, and competition from airlines serving other global hubs.

It is for the UK Parliament to hold the UK Government to account.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17111 on 21 June 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Routes between Scotland and global hubs like Heathrow and Amsterdam are essential for Scotland’s international connectivity, supporting economic growth in Scotland and helping us deliver our Trade and Investment Strategy. We recognise the need to reduce emissions from all forms of transport and the forthcoming update to our 2018 Climate Change Plan will set out how we will achieve that.

This was based on the Climate Change Committee’s report “Meeting the UK aviation target – options for reducing emissions to 2050” which estimated that the combination of aircraft, Air Traffic Management and operational efficiency improvements could result in a range for annual improvement in fleet fuel efficiency from 0.8-1.5% per seat-km between 2005 and 2050.

Yes, we remain committed to the memorandum of understanding between the Scottish Government and Heathrow. We are clear that expansion of the UK’s only global hub airport should deliver benefits for all the nations of the UK. Routes between Scotland and global hubs like Heathrow and Amsterdam are essential for Scotland’s international connectivity, supporting economic growth in Scotland and helping us deliver our Trade and Investment Strategy. As these reasons remain valid we have not considered withdrawing from the memorandum of understanding.

Routes from Scotland to global hubs like Heathrow and Amsterdam are essential for Scotland’s international connectivity, supporting economic growth in Scotland and helping us deliver our Trade and Investment Strategy. However, we recognise that more needs to be done to reduce emissions. The Scottish Government’s forthcoming update to our 2018 Climate Change Plan, recast as part of a green recovery from COVID-19, will set out a pathway to meeting Scotland’s economy-wide greenhouse emissions reduction targets over the period to 2032. This includes plans to create the world’s first zero emission aviation region and trial low and zero emission aircraft in Scotland. The actual number of flights operating between Scotland and Heathrow in the future will be determined by capacity, demand, and competition from airlines serving other global hubs.

Routes between Scotland and global hubs like Heathrow and Amsterdam are essential for Scotland’s international connectivity, supporting economic growth in Scotland and helping us deliver our Trade and Investment Strategy. We recognise the need to reduce emissions from all forms of transport and the forthcoming update to our 2018 Climate Change Plan will set out how we will achieve that.

The renewables sector has a vital role to play in meeting our climate ambitions, as well as creating jobs and contributing to our recovery from Covid-19.

I and fellow Scottish Government ministers have been engaging with the energy industry on a regular basis throughout the pandemic, both via one-to-one meetings with an extensive range of representatives from organisations such as Scottish Renewables, Ofgem, National Grid ESO, SSE, Scottish Power, EDF, EDPR, ADE, Red Rock and with our agencies, Marine Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The work of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council, which I co-chair, has continued to discuss progression of renewable energy in the context of both floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind. We have continued to progress work around tackling barriers to deployment represented by military and civilian radar matters. In addition, we have discussed renewable energy opportunities through forums such as the Strategic Leadership Groups that sit as sub groups of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB), upon which I sit, with SEAB being co-chaired by the First Minister and Professor Sir Jim MacDonald of Strathclyde University.

The most recent, virtual meeting of SEAB took place on 16 July where discussion focused on delivery of a green recovery, and steps towards publication of the Climate Change Plan and subsequent update to Scotland’s Energy Strategy. At the meeting, as the Ministerial co-chair of three of the four SLGs, I set out the work of the four Strategic Leadership Groups underpinning SEAB, i.e. those on: Renewable Energy, Networks, Oil and Gas and Energy Transition and the newly established SLG for Consumers. In particular, the Renewable Energy Strategic Leadership group provides advice and recommendations on: the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector; the options for addressing them, and how the sector may go further to support the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy priorities.

We will continue to engage with a wide range of renewable energy stakeholders in the months ahead as we target a green and just transition of our energy system.

Scotland is already an experienced exporter of energy and related skills and services with many international companies already benefiting from our long-standing expertise and experience in renewables and other energy related sectors. This government and its trade and investment agency, Scottish Development International, actively seek to promote a business environment which encourages growth through partnership, co-investment, and sharing of experience with other countries. We make it easy for companies to access our experts and talent and know this will stand Scottish companies in good stead internationally, with those countries seeking to make a green recovery to the global COVID-19 pandemic.