Climate Delivery Framework: Oversight Group minutes - December 2024

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Government

• Ms Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Co-chair)
• Ms Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
• Ms Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport

Local government

• Councillor Gail MacGregor, COSLA’s Environment and Economy Spokesperson (Co-chair)
• Councillor Steven Heddle, COSLA’s Vice-President
• Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council

Support

• Phil Raines, Deputy Director Domestic Climate Change, Scottish Government
• Morna Cannon, Deputy Director Transport Scotland Low Carbon Economy, Scottish Government
• James Fowlie, Director of Place Policy, COSLA
• Robert Nicol, Chief Officer Environment and Economy, COSLA

Secretariat

• Robbie Cameron, Domestic Climate Change Division, Scottish Government
• Jody Fleck, Domestic Climate Change Division, Scottish Government
• Rhys Smith, Domestic Climate Change Division, Scottish Government

Apologies

None

Items and actions

Chairs welcome and introduction

The chair welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Climate Delivery Oversight Group, and thanked everyone for their efforts to attend the first meeting in person. 

Overview: Opportunity for local and national government collaboration (Phil Raines) 

Joint Deputy Director of the Domestic Climate Change Division, Phil Raines, took the group through a presentation on the challenges and opportunities facing the group. 

The group was then asked what they wanted to see from the group. The was strong consensus on the need for Scottish Government and local government to work together to tackle climate emergency. Areas discussed included: 

• focus on two key high-emitting areas, such as heat and transport
• reduce cost-of-living
• reduce fuel poverty
• collaborative working 
• ensure a just transition
• leveraging in climate investment 

Terms of reference (TOR)

No comments were made on the terms of reference and they were taken to be agreed. 

Priorities for the Climate Delivery Framework (CDF)

The chair introduced a discussion around the priorities for the Climate Delivery Framework. 

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport declared an interest as having initiated the Inquiry into local government’s role in delivering net zero during her time as deputy convener of the NZET Committee. It was recognised that the Inquiry provided useful evidence to shape the CDF priorities and the Cabinet Secretary suggested that a short stocktake of progress against the recommendations from the Inquiry could be helpful for the group.   

There was broad agreement on the initial priorities for the CDF, with the need to attract private investment (number 4 below) identified as the most urgent area of work to take forward. As such, it was also agreed that the membership of the group should be expanded to include a Minister within the economy portfolio of Scottish Government. The priorities agreed for the Framework were as follows:   

• establish a joint programme focused on the high carbon sectors 
• improve data and climate informed decision making through the rollout of the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service  
• develop a comprehensive roadmap to reduce emissions, aligned with the new national Climate Change Plan  
• develop a national approach to build the capacity and support LAs with attracting private investment for net zero and adaptation projects  
• provide a forum to jointly shape key climate change policies, including the sectoral Just Transition Plans, the Scottish National Adaptation Plan and the Climate Change Plan 
• review discretionary funding programmes available to local authorities for climate change projects and explore options for multi-year funding   

The group also noted: 

• high cost of electricity
• transmission charging costs as a barrier to investment in more remote areas and a contributing factor to fuel poverty
• need to consider communities and community benefit
• communities paying the highest electricity prices are often based in areas where there is greatest opportunity (e.g. for renewables - community benefits need to be more significant and tangible)
• potential for decoupling electricity from gas
• heat networks as a big opportunity for cities, but important that it is taken forward in parallel with energy efficiency retrofits
• funding models exist to avoid upfront costs falling on residents, which is critical (eg. net zero neighbourhood finance model) 
• need to align investment work with ongoing work by DFM
• explore an infrastructure levy
• energy company infrastructure/grid connection is a major challenge and barrier

The DFM is leading on SG-wide work with investors – it is important there is synergy between the work of this group and the work of other relevant groups.

CDF – Senior Official Levels Group

The group provided a mandate for SG and local government to propose membership of the Senior Officials Group. It was noted that the Senior Officials Group should include an investment representative from Scottish Government, given the discussion on priorities.  

Next steps

The chair provided an overview of the next steps for the group. Officials will: 

• prepare high-level minutes of the meeting to be agreed and then published on the Scottish Government website.
• book in meetings for 2025 in advance to best ensure maximum attendance. 
• finalise the proposed membership of the Senior Officials Level Group of the Climate Delivery Framework and report back to this group. 
• establish task and finish groups to take forward an exploration of the opportunities presented by the priorities of the group, with a view to providing an update at the next meeting. 

Any other business 

No other business was raised.