A new group is to be established to explore options and priorities for updating Scotland's Climate Change Plan.

Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham will chair the new group made up of members of the Scottish Parliament, academics, industry and environmental organisations.

The 2018-32 Climate Change Plan provides for a reduction in annual emissions of just over 10 megatonnes by 2032, but new targets mean that a reduction of 25 megatonnes will now be needed by the same date.

The group will meet for the first time on Thursday, 30 January 2020 and then monthly until the plan is laid before parliament at the end of April.

Announcing the group, Ms Cunningham said: "Last May, I committed to updating our Climate Change Plan within six months of our new Climate Change Bill receiving Royal Assent and, in order to achieve the scale and pace of nationwide activity required, it is important that parliament and our wider society is involved in the development of that addendum.

"The reduction in emissions we need to achieve will require action by everybody. The Scottish Government will do everything it can, and the UK Government, households, businesses and industry will all need to play their part too. Ending Scotland's contribution to climate change must be a truly national endeavour.


"We must ensure our transformation to net-zero takes place in a just and fair way – no-one should be left behind. That is why the Scottish Government undertook The Big Climate Conversation last year and will shortly establish a Citizens Assembly on Climate Change.

"I look forward to this group engaging openly, constructively and collaboratively to help deliver our highly ambitious emissions targets."

The Scottish Government's climate change plans cover a 10-15 year period from publication. The current plan was published in February 2018 and covers the period to 2032. An addendum to the Plan will be laid in Parliament at the end of April.

The remit of the Climate Change Plan stakeholder working group is to:

• understand the scale of the challenge inherent in meeting the new annual emission reduction targets out to 2032, particularly in relation to public finances and the Scottish Economy

• discuss options for managing the challenges and risks and maximise the opportunities and benefits

• discuss priorities for the update

The membership of the group is as follows:

• Roseanna Cunningham, Climate Change Secretary

• Kate Forbes, Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy

• Mairi Gougeon, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment

• Claudia Beamish, Scottish Labour Party

• Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green Party

• Rebecca Bell, Scottish Liberal Democrat Party

• Finlay Carson, Scottish Conservative Party

• Councillor Stephen Heddle, Environment and Economy Spokesperson, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

• Andy Kerr, Director, UK and Ireland Climate-KIC

• Dave Reay, Professor of Carbon Management and Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation

• Sara Thiam, Chief Executive Scottish Council for Development and Industry

• Gina Hanrahan, Head of Policy, WWF Scotland

• Richard Hardy, Prospect

• Tom Shields, CEO of Spring Rise

• Dagma Droogsma, Scotch Whisky Association

• Mairi Spowage, Fraser of Allander Institute

• Keith MacLean OBE, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Research Councils' Energy Programme

(MH/JG)