International network: annual report 2022-2023

Climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy

National Outcomes

Environment

Economy

Network Outcomes

• Scotland’s Interests
• Investment
• International Trade
• Research and Innovation

The Scottish Government is committed to securing a green recovery that prioritises economic, social and environmental wellbeing, responds to the twin challenges of the climate emergency and biodiversity loss, and builds on our natural advantages and significant expertise in renewable energy. This section uses examples and case studies to highlight activity across the network contributing to these important goals.

Scotland House London engaged with Burns and McDonnell, a US-headquartered global engineering and construction company, on their plans for UK expansion to provide services to electricity network operators and renewable energy developers. Scotland House London provided the company with an understanding of the Scottish landscape and support infrastructure, advice on skills availability and recruitment, and an introduction to the support available from Skills Development Scotland. In August 2022, the company publicly announced its decision to establish an operation in Motherwell, initially creating 10 new “green” engineering jobs.

Scotland’s global leadership in renewable energy is a perfect match for our firm’s global experience in designing and upgrading onshore network infrastructure. UK Managing Director, Burns and McDonnell

The team in Canada worked with Toronto-based Northland Power ahead of their successful ScotWind bid, actively engaging with the company at various levels to support their growth in Scotland. The firm secured one fixed and one floating site off the coast of the Western Isles – Spiorad na Mara (Spirit of the Sea) and Havbredey (Isles on the Edge of the Sea) – realising their interest in supporting Scotland’s ambitious energy transition to net zero through a multi-billion dollar investment securing over 100 highly skilled jobs, with significant opportunities for local supply-chain companies across offshore wind industry value chain in the years to come.

The recruitment of a new GlobalScot member in Germany led to the opportunity to partner with the Institute for Trade and Innovation (IfTI) at the University of Offenburg for a major biennial international conference. The Germany-Scotland Forum and IfTI Global Symposium focused on responsible green growth as well as data and digitalisation in support of trade, investment and climate priorities. The Scottish Government Europe Minister joined the Managing Director of SDI, 7 Scottish companies and institutions, and over 100 participants from more than 25 countries attending the conference and participating in panel discussions.

In China, the team turned to digital engagement platforms. A webinar co-hosted with the China Youth Climate Action Network (CYCAN) showcased Scotland’s approach to a just transition and the importance of local communities and youth taking environmental protection action. Two Scottish distilleries supporting sustainable production presented their approach to local industrial transformation, with over 100 direct participants in the webinar and over 7,000 viewers on the Weibo live stream. Over the year, the team posted more than 60 times on climate and biodiversity issues to their 192,000 followers on Weibo, generating 1.45 million impressions, increasing awareness of Scotland’s approach.

In Denmark, the team worked with FCDO to support an engagement event on decarbonising healthcare. Healthcare emissions contribute to the climate crisis, and SG and NHS Scotland have delivered a Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy for healthcare systems that sees them playing a leading role in a coalition of 40 countries that have set targets for healthcare sustainability. A growing number of Scottish companies offer products and solutions that support this sustainability approach, particularly within healthcare facilities management and digitalisation. The event at the British Embassy in Copenhagen introduced these companies to Danish healthcare, allowing participants to share best practices and explore how tech, digital, and circular solutions can help decarbonise the healthcare sector.

COP15, the United Nations biodiversity conference, was chaired by China and hosted by Canada in December 2022, with Montreal providing the conference venue in place of Kunming due to ongoing Covid public health restrictions in China at the time.

In the run-up, targeted discussions led by the China office saw Kunming sign the Edinburgh Declaration on biodiversity. This was a key milestone in our advocacy of the Edinburgh Declaration and paved the way for future discussion and collaboration with China on protecting biodiversity. The team co-hosted the Scotland-China Roundtable on Biodiversity virtually with Kunming local government and ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) in November before COP15. At the COP, the team facilitated reciprocal Ministerial-level participation at Scotland’s and China’s side events – on the Edinburgh Declaration, and China Day – and coordinated bilateral meetings between Scotland and Kunming at COP15.

The team in Canada hosted a senior official visit to Ottawa a fortnight before COP15 kicked off in Montreal, with the visiting Director for External Affairs meeting the co-chair of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This engagement allowed the Canada team to facilitate a Ministerial-level meeting at the COP, and collaboration between Scottish Government biodiversity officials and CBD on public messaging during COP15.

Case Study: Hydrogen

Scotland’s ambitious yet very prudently designed plans for the hydrogen economy call for us in Germany to seek to take advantage of this great opportunity for transformation and joint innovation, including at the Federal Government level. Juergen Friedrich, Green Hydrogen Envoy, Federal Ministry for Economy and Climate

Our international network has continued to showcase Scotland’s vast potential in the field of renewables. Multiple offices have developed a cross-team effort demonstrating Scotland’s hydrogen potential.

Scotland House Brussels hosted and participated in a range of events and policy sessions on this high-growth sector for Scotland. Scotland Europa is a co-leader of the Energy and Climate Change working group in the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN), and hosted a working group meeting on Hydrogen Valleys in Scotland House Brussels with high-level stakeholders from other EU regions, economic development agencies and the European Commission. The team delivered a programme for the Scottish Government Net Zero Cabinet Secretary during EU Hydrogen Week, hosted a hydrogen stand during the Schuman Lights Up festival, showcasing Scotland’s potential with material provided by SDI alongside other regional and EU representatives, and continued to engage in work as part of the Vanguard Initiative on the Hydrogen Pilot. This resulted in a series of successful and varied events reaching a broad EU audience, providing excellent opportunities to demonstrate Scotland’s value as a partner.

The team in France followed their 2020-21 green research project to foster Franco-Scottish collaboration in offshore wind and hydrogen technologies by taking forward the recommendations of the final report prepared by the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney and French marine renewable energy organisation INNOSEA. The France Office supported the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Scottish offshore wind cluster DeepWind and its Occitanie equivalent WindOcc (following on from a similar MoU signed with the German Offshore Wind Association the previous year), worked on developing an MOU with the Brittany Region focused on Offshore Wind and hydrogen collaborations, and has begun to create platforms for network building in key targeted regions, supporting a delegation of fifteen Scottish companies to meet in Rennes with companies from the Brittany renewable marine energy sector.

The team in China focused their Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) approach on offshore wind and the hydrogen supply chain, targeting key supply chain gaps which could be appropriately addressed through FDI including the manufacture and or assembly of turbines blades floating substructures sub-sea cables and electrolysers. They presented Scotland’s off shore wind market opportunities at the top offshore wind conference in China, and are engaging ten potential investors in the hydrogen supply chain, including Chinese electrolyser manufacturers.

The team in Germany continued to develop significant expertise in hydrogen, which enables it to react quickly to Germany’s accelerated plans for its energy transition and successfully put Scotland “on the map” as a major potential future green hydrogen exporter. Germany has taken the strategic decision to focus on hydrogen for its decarbonisation needs for its extensive industrial base. Its significant future import requirement for green hydrogen, and Scotland’s considerable future export potential for green hydrogen, are well matched. The Germany team worked with political, energy and business stakeholders over the reporting year to position Scotland as a key player in that market, including through high-profile appearances by the Scottish Government Europe Minister, the Trade Minister and the Managing Director of Scottish Development International at major international conferences such as Wind Energy Hamburg, and the accompanying Hydrogen Expo. Further hydrogen engagement successes in the reporting year included:

• inward hydrogen-focused ministerial and business missions to Scotland by North-Rhine Westphalia, Baden Württemberg, Lower Saxony and Bavaria; Statements of Intent on Hydrogen signed with Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria (both key future off-takers for hydrogen), and partnership agreements facilitated between the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, and Hamburg Renewable Energy Cluster.
• dialogue with two successive Green Hydrogen Commissioners from the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, as well as the Green Hydrogen Envoy for the Federal Ministry for Economy and Climate, demonstrated Scotland’s considerable expertise and export potential to the German federal government.
• an event as part of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue official programme, co-hosted with the Federation of German Industry with c. 140 registered guests, brought together Scottish industry expertise with German policy makers, investors and future off-takers.
• a ports workshop in Hamburg hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), together with stakeholders from the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany, to identify common research needs and establish new contacts for the formation of research consortia. Discussions were underpinned by the findings of the Scot2Ger Study published in June, which revealed existing demand for Scottish green hydrogen if it were already available and highlighted the economic potential for Scotland from this faster growth in demand than expected.