Energy strategy: position statement

Maximising Scotland's International Potential

The level of action and ambition needed to set the world on track to a net zero future will require us all to work in solidarity, promote collaboration and share expertise and knowledge. The Scottish Government is committed to working with friends across Europe and the world to raise climate ambition. The Scottish Government's overarching priority is to ensure that the UK's exit from the European Union does not significantly impact our transition to net zero or our ambition to build a fair and resilient wellbeing economy. The implications for Scotland caused by the "hard Brexit" reinforces why it is so important for people in Scotland to have the right to decide their own future and to regain the full benefits of EU membership as an independent country.

We have made clear our commitment to tackling the global climate emergency and to ending Scotland's contribution to climate change within a generation.

Global challenges require a global response, and ahead of COP26 in November we will continue to work extensively across our international network to support global efforts to reach net zero in way that is fair and just and leaves no-one behind

Scotland's Energy Strategy identifies internationalisation as a key area, recognising the importance of working with partners and the contribution this can make to sustainable economic growth as we transition to a net zero economy. Our priority areas for international engagement include: Hydrogen; CCUS; Wind; Marine Renewables and Marine Spatial Planning; Heat Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency; and Local Energy.

Scotland has already established strong collaborative relationships with international partners, for example with the Government of Denmark on heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency, and with California and New Jersey in the USA on offshore wind. We will continue to develop and strengthen our international relationships, prioritising activity and collaborations that promote learning and policy exchange, build upon Scotland's reputation and increase our attractiveness to international partners and ensure a flow of new investment.

The Scottish Government, along with our Enterprise Agencies, will continue to engage with international partners – strengthening existing relationships and seeking out opportunities for our energy industries to flourish in the global market. This will include maximising opportunities for global growth in new innovations and emerging technologies, such as the development of a hydrogen economy. Scotland is well placed in terms of proximity and infrastructure connectivity to several European nations, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden, that are unlikely to be able to decarbonise wholly through their indigenous wind and solar renewable energy supply and will require the importation of hydrogen. As large demand for green hydrogen develops in Europe, our challenge is to ensure Scotland becomes a primary centre of production to meet this need.