 Y cywmaint yw'r cyfrwysgau ym Mwysil yn ddod i'r gwybodaeth o Mwysil 1 2237 yn y bydd Odgry Nicoll yn y Octwlliannau Cyflwyno Ynysgrifonau Rheniogol, Sector 2023, yn y cyfath. Y gwybodaeth yw'r cyfrwysgau yn sgwrs ar gyfer ddim yn ddigon. I encourage members wishing to take part to press the request to speak buttons and those leaving the chamber to do so as quickly and as quietly as possible. I invite Audrey Nicholl to open the debate around seven minutes, Ms Nicholl. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and it's my real pleasure to introduce this member's debate on the economic impact of Scotland's renewable energy sector 2023 update. I thank all colleagues who supported the motion, and I'm grateful to those who are taking time to speak this afternoon. Before I get into the detail of the report, I want to focus some remarks on the north-east, including on my constituency of Aberdeen South and North Concardin. The opportunities that our net zero economy brings to an otherwise cloudy economic picture and the role of government in bolstering competitiveness and supporting Scotland's clean energy transition. Renewable energy generation is the foundation of any net zero economy, and in Scotland we're fortunate to have a plethora of renewable technologies, including onshore and offshore wind, marine energy, hydropower, solar and clean heat, which will all play a key role in reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our future energy security. Scotland has set ambitious targets and challenges do exist in delivering those ambitions, but today is a time, I hope, to acknowledge the positive impact that the renewable sector is having on jobs and economic output in Scotland. Nowhere has the energy transition been more evident than in the north-east. As an Aberdeen and now as a north-east constituency MSP, I followed the journey of the energy industry, built around oil and gas, and now transitioning to renewables. Hitting the sweet spot between a declining fossil fuel sector and a growing renewables footprint is the challenge that we all face, and we must endeavour to deliver for our planet and future prosperity. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Units net zero economy report published last month, Aberdeen remains one of many local economies in Scotland to see a significant proportion of its GVA attributed to the net zero economy. The city and wider region continues to host a diverse mix of operators, developers and supply chain businesses and supports energy generation activities. The Robert Gordon University has published a series of reports setting out scenarios on how the north-east can continue to exploit its world-class energy ecosystem, presenting a range of workforce outcomes that could materialise over the coming years. Their powering up the workforce report found that the UK offshore energy workforce can increase by up to 50 per cent from over 150,000 in 2023 to 225,000 by the end of the decade, with new renewable jobs outnumbering oil and gas roles if a successful transition is achieved, helping to secure Scotland's world-class energy sector for future generations. Technology and innovation is a fundamental part of our energy transition, and the north-east hosts a wealth of activity in this space. Last week, I was delighted to attend the opening of the ORE Catapult Floating Wind Innovation Centre in my constituency, the UK's first centre focused purely on floating offshore wind technology. The national energy skills accelerator has brought north-east academics and industry together to accelerate the upskilling of our existing and future workforce. The net zero technology centre works with stakeholders to drive technology for a net zero industrial future. Those initiatives demonstrate how Scotland is combining our strengths of bringing creativity together with expertise to support the delivery of a successful energy transition. Turning to the economic impact of Scotland's renewable energy sector update, commissioned by Scottish Renewables and produced by the Fraser of Allander Institute, the report provides the latest estimates of economic output and job figures for Scotland's renewables industry and its supply chain, supporting more than 42,000 full-time jobs in 2021, with offshore wind supporting the most employment around 15,000 full-time equivalent roles. Onshore wind supported just over 12,000 full-time equivalent roles, and renewable heat supported around 7,200. In terms of output, Scotland's renewable industry supported over £10.1 billion of output in 2021, with offshore wind understood to contribute output of £4 billion, and onshore wind and hydropower generating £3.4 billion and £1.2 billion respectively. At this point, I want to make a brief point about just transition and recognise that with the transformation of Scotland's energy sector over the coming decades, the lives of communities and workers will be directly affected. A truly just transition calls for action on providing green jobs, building community wealth and embedding genuine participation. I agree with calls for greater clarity on how we will measure progress in that regard. The renewable energy industry currently presents Scottish supply chain companies with the biggest opportunity for business growth. However, its growth depends on enabling a stable and ambitious pipeline of clean energy projects and will require both Scottish and UK Governments to collaborate on enabling deployment, including by driving efficiencies and extra resource, into our planning and consenting system, maximising Scottish capacity in contracts for difference, building new transmission infrastructure, upgrading our ports and investing in skills. On transmission, I welcome SSE's investment programme in Scotland, and, in particular, the north of Scotland build-out, which is anticipated to be worth £20 billion alone and providing lasting economic and social benefits across Scotland. On that point, do you have any concerns about the level of disruption that some of the SSE upgrades will have on many of our communities in the northeast? I thank the member for that very appropriate intervention. I wouldn't underplay the challenge that such big projects do have, but I think that that's perhaps up to us to challenge and to monitor what is happening with particular regard to representing our constituents. Before concluding, I want to highlight the role of Government, and notwithstanding how policy decisions at UK level impact on the way that Scotland meets its net zero targets. The Scottish Government energy strategy and just transition plan, just transition fund and forthcoming green industrial strategy, in my view, reflect a distinct more planned approach to addressing our climate crisis—something that I very much welcome. As time passes, progress in Scotland's transition to net zero will become increasingly critical to the future of the UK, not only due to the social and environmental imperative of carbon climate change, but also the economic upside associated with the transition to a cleaner, cheaper and greener energy system, bringing fresh investment to our shores, regeneration to our industrial heartlands and high-value jobs to the next generation. In closing, I thank everyone who supported this motion. I look forward to hearing members' contributions. Thank you very much, Mr Nicol. We move to the open debate. I call first Maurice Golden to be followed by Sarah Boyack around four minutes. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Let me begin by thanking Audrey Nicol for securing this debate today. The motion has the key facts and figures on the many thousands of jobs the renewable energy sector supports, as well as the incredible economic output it generates, but there is another statistic that I want to highlight here. It comes from the 2022-23 Scottish Renewable Supply Chain Impact statement. That found that an overwhelming majority of the featured organisations, some 90 per cent, regarded renewable energy as Scotland's biggest economic opportunity. That is important because it highlights the fact that, as impressive as the existing economic impact has been, there is much more to come if we get future priorities and policies right. We must get them right if we are to ensure that there is a bright future for communities across the north-east as we transition from fossil fuels. At a basic level, there must be a pipeline of projects that are both ambitious and stable. It is worth mentioning that greater recycling and reuse of energy infrastructure would open up another avenue of economic activity in addition to expanding generation. Especially when we consider decommissioning of offshore fossil fuel assets alone is sent to ramp up to £2 billion per year over the next decade. Looking at renewables, refurbishing many thousands of wind turbine components would open up a £10 billion market for the UK and Scotland, as around 120,000 turbines come online across Europe by the mid-2030s. That is potentially 20,000 full-time equivalent jobs across the UK, according to research conducted on behalf of the coalition for wind industry circularity. Scotland could and should be a part of building the UK-wide supply chain to make that circularity happen, yet there is no mention of that kind of circularity in the energy sector in the circular economy bill. As it happens, there is a joint session of the circular economy and renewable energy and energy efficiency cross-party groups that has been held after this debate, where we look at the issue of circularity in the energy sector and invite all members to come along. Because we cannot afford to miss those opportunities, international competition is fierce. It is our job as MSPs to ensure that Scotland is the go-to place for net zero investment. We are going to need a lot of investment. The climate change committee estimates that net zero transition will require £50 billion of investment each year across the UK, the majority of which will need to be delivered by the private sector. Of course, Government must lead the process and send out encouraging signals, so I would repeat the calls for the Scottish Government to provide clarity over the Just Transition Fund, which, as was reported last week, has seen its budget cut by a whopping 75 per cent this year. It is the wrong signal to send out if this Government is serious about a Just Transition and about cementing renewables as a cornerstone of our economy. I also want to congratulate Audrey Nicholl for securing this important debate. It could not be more timely. I have lost count of the number of meetings that I have had with the renewables sector from large companies to community and co-operative projects. The supply chain networks are talking to us on everyone agrees that we have made huge progress in the past couple of decades. Renewables are not a key part of the economy, but we need to see more action. When I first set our renewables targets in the early days, they were seen as somewhat bold and radical. Where we have got to now is a credit to the sector and those companies that have been delivering the jobs and the infrastructure over that time. We have seen a huge step forward in on and off-shore wind and solar, waving tidal, hydro and pump storage, and there are technological developments opening new options going forward. However, we need to see action to develop supply chains, to give clarity and certainty to the sector going forward. It is critical that we do not miss this vote to make progress. We also need to maximise the opportunities of our natural capital while investing in renewable infrastructure, which will help to promote biodiversity. I think that there is now lots of research and experience that needs to be widely shared. I also want to thank all those who gave us briefings and groups such as Scottish Renewables who have shared their thoughts in recent months on the need to act urgently to address the challenges faced by the sector. We need the strategic leadership, particularly in terms of effective consenting and planning processes. We need the development of the grid and we need access to apprenticeships, reskilling opportunities, both to give people the opportunity to move into the sector, but also for those workers with skills, knowledge and experience who want to move into the renewables sector, particularly those who have been working in the oil and gas sector. They should not have to pay for that training and we need to deliver North Sea 2, as Gordon Brown recently described it. I also want to reference the STUC report on the just transition, which also has some key recommendations that need to be addressed. The missed potential from Scotland, the need for more manufacturing and renewables being prioritised in Scotland and we need joined-up thinking, as we have just heard from Maurice Golden, linking the renewables sector to the circular economy in practice. There are companies such as Reblade that are moving ahead on this but we need to see this built into the whole sector. We urgently need action, as I have mentioned, in planning consent processes. Our local authorities are suffering after a decade of cuts from the SNP Government, £1 billion of cuts, so we urgently need action to ensure that local authorities get the support that they need now and that we bring new planners into the sector so that we see an end to the never-ending processes. We also want to see more community and co-operatively on teat and power projects. That is something that is central to Scotland's economy going forward and Labour's local power plan would see us making the progress that we urgently need, because we need investment in our communities so that they gain the benefits from the transformation that is possible. Our commitment to GBNJ, HQD and SCOT, yes, very briefly? I thank the member for giving wave. I can just backtrack a little bit on to the matter of planning, which Sarah Boyack highlighted. Would she welcome the proposal around a floating resource of planners and the commitment to have onshore when planning timescales? It is not just about having timescales, and we definitely need more resources for local authorities that are separate from the sector, but we also need this onshore and offshore. It is not just one of the two, and it is critical that we get that urgently, because if we are going to get the jobs that we need in Scotland, we need strategic leadership and investment, and I think that that means transformational change in our economy. That is where Labour wants to see a GBNJ-established HQD in Scotland that should give us strategic leadership and investment that other European countries have baked into their projects. This morning, I want to finish on this. I saw for myself the impact of joined-up thinking and investment, inspiring visit to fourth ports and the work that they are doing to invest in the port to make it fit for the future. Part of that process will be 2,000 jobs created with their new renewables factory, new harbour infrastructure to enable floating wind to be developed and building new affordable social housing and lease, something that is urgently needed. I put my register of interests on the record on that point. We have new renewables development that will benefit from that investment being made by fourth ports, which will sit alongside the work that is being done up and down our east coast, but we need more young people being inspired to join the sector. Getting access to the skills and training and academic development that a renewable sector needs now, if we are going to deliver the jobs, the investment and the low-carbon power that Scotland needs now. I congratulate my colleague Audrey Nicholl for securing tonight's debate and thank the Fraser of Allander Institute for producing this report and Scottish Renewables for commissioning it. In a matter of weeks, this Parliament celebrates its 25th anniversary. Compared to 1999, we have a much clearer consensus on environmental, financial and, indeed, moral imperative for tackling climate change. Since 1999, successive administrations have developed a distinct and ambitious approach to climate change. Today, Scotland produces more electricity from renewables than it consumes. Recent figures show that renewable technologies generated the equivalent of 113 per cent of Scotland's overall electricity consumption in 2022, the highest recorded to date. PwC's green jobs barometer consistently identifies Scotland as the best-performing part of the UK for developing green jobs. 4.04 per cent of all jobs advertised are considered green, which is 74 per cent higher than the UK average. Skills Development Scotland estimates that £90 billion worth of green investments are happening now or will take place over the next three years. Scotland, hydrogen, carbon capture, waving tidal technologies and green free ports do not just represent opportunities to de-carbonise the open massive economic opportunities to secure a generation of well-paid green jobs. Scotland's renewable sector is not confined to supporting domestic decarbonisation, and my own constituency, Hunterston, will host the UK's first high-voltage direct current factory, a fantastic example of the type of project that Scotland needs to attract. The ambition shown is immense. 2,485 miles of cable will be produced to connect Morocco's renewable energy-rich region of Gwelmunwyd Nwn with the British mainland. That world-first project will generate 11.5 gigawatts of zero-carbon electricity from the sun and wind to deliver enough low-cost clean power to equivalent of over 7 million homes, eventually supplying 8 per cent of UK electricity needs. XLCC, the company behind the £1.4 billion cable manufacturing facility, is working closely with Scottish Enterprise, North Easter Council, Skills Development Scotland, local schools and colleges to deliver projects in ways that maximise economic benefits for the local area and its people. The first cohort of apprentices has already been recruited and recently returned from eight weeks training in Germany. When fully operational, the site will employ up to 900 highly skilled permanent workers with thousands more jobs created through the supply chain. With industry projections indicating that subsea cable demand will outstrip supply by two and a half times in 2030 and existing manufacturers of supply backlogs of up to nine years, the facility will tackle a crucial bottleneck in global energy decarbonisation. Scotland's renewable energy industry already supports over £10.1 billion of output and over 42,000 jobs across the economy, as Audrey Nicholl pointed out in her motion. Substantial but only a fraction of our renewables potential. A 2022 report by economist Dr David Skilling suggested that Scotland could increase its green energy output fivefold if increasing capacity from 12 gigawatts to over 60 gigawatts by 2050. Scotland could become a green energy powerhouse, creating up to 385,000 jobs in the process. Unfortunately, the Scottish Government is constrained by what it can do to turn potential into reality. Energy is reserved, so we cannot change disastrous policies like transmission network use of system charges brought in by Labour's Ed Miliband. Those uniquely disadvantaged Scottish projects with Scottish renewables are, and I quote, enormously destructive to Scotland's offshore wind industry and clearly odds with everything that we need to do to reach net zero. I am in my last 20, 30 seconds, I am afraid. While the Scottish Government can invest and has allocated £500 million for Scotland's offshore wind supply chain, its borrowing powers are limited, it cannot invest in the sector as the UK or other governments of independent countries can. Presiding Officer, as nations invest billions in green industries, Labour's 83 per cent cut to the promised £28 billion annually to meet net zero, once considered the bare minimum, means there's now a cosy consensus from Westminster parties on leaving green industries to fend for themselves, holding back Scotland's energy potential. Scotland's an opportunity to achieve a just transition to net zero that enhances energy security and lowers energy costs for households. To fully realise that, we need all the powers to act powers that can only be secured through independence. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I start by thanking Audrey Nicholl for bringing you this motion to debate. The energy sector supports hundreds of thousands of livelihoods in the north-east and is vital to Scotland and the UK economy. We all hope that renewables boosts our energy security and recognise the opportunities for those currently working in oil and gas, but the current strategy disregards the views of rural communities who feel neglected by this SNP green government. The economic impact being spoken about so far only points to the positive and fails to take into account the many negative costs that can arise. What's worse is that the £750 million of Scotland's revenue has already been blown by plugging the SNP's tax and axe budget. I would like to voice the concerns of those living through the demolition of their communities and countryside. Aberdeenshire's ever-growing list of infrastructure projects now includes 26 giant turbines in Glendai, 16 on the Hill of Fair, which would be amongst the tallest in the UK at up to 200 metres tall if they proceed over the wishes of over 1,100 community objections, and over 150 turbines making up the Ring of Steel in Macabreck. I note here my register of interest of two 12 kilowatt farm turbines built a decade ago, some 45,000 times smaller compared to those of Macabreck. And there are other related infrastructure projects wiping out the countryside, including pylon developments. The ESO Beyond 2030 report outlines a north-to-south electrical spine that will turn the north-east into a powered distribution corridor. Last year, the national grid paid a record £275 million in constraint payments to Scottish wind farms. It is a slap in the face to constituents struggling with high energy bills and the blight of turbines and pylons that we have to pay hundreds of millions to turn the power off. Scotland is already at capacity, so how can this Government justify these developments despite community objections? The benefit communities receive is minuscule compared to the income generated for developers. Over one million visitors come to Aberdeenshire each year to enjoy the scenery and historic sights. An infrastructure of the scale being proposed for Aberdeenshire will scar the landscape, and you only need to look no further than Macabreck, where new evidence has found that Craig Dawnie Fort, one of a few intact Pictish sites remaining in Scotland, is a site of national importance. Historic Environment Scotland has abdicated responsibility and will not amend the designation because the planning application for the Craigwatch wind farm has started. What a disgraceful response from a statutory consultee. I have heard from constituents who have seen their homes devalued by over 10 per cent. Sales have fallen through, with one constituent writing to me saying that we are now basically trapped in a home that is not able to be sold and which will soon be adjacent to our pylons where we no longer want to live. Windfarm developments do not even offer sustainable local employment opportunities. Both the Glendine, Hill of Fair and Environmental Impact Assessment reports emphasise the remote operational control of modern wind farms. The Clash and Derek wind farm extension proposes 22 jobs at this stage, but just five locally in Murray. Hill of Fair's project manager, Gavin Shirley, lives in Dumfries, and it will be managed at the res control centre in Glasgow. Once again, north-east communities have their opposition ignored, whilst those who benefit do not have to live through the desecration of their community. The Scottish Government's target to install 3,400 turbines between now and 2030 will see a windfarm on every hill and a pylon in every field. Other sources of energy and other distribution routes must be pursued, communities must be heard and should have a statutory voice in the planning process. Thank you. Mark Ruskell, to be followed by Douglas Lumsden in around four minutes, Mr Ruskell. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I thank Gordie Nicol for bringing this now regular debate on the success of the Scottish Renewable Sector to this chamber. The growth of the Renewable Sector is truly remarkable. We are now living through a revolution that would have been unimaginable 30 years ago and was still on the very edge of what was thought was achievable 20 years ago. Despite what Mr Burnett has just outlined to the chamber, this has been done largely with public consent. Public support for onshore wind remains strong in this country and, of course, developers need to work closely with communities to ensure that that public consent continues going forward. However, the analysis from Fraser Avalander Institute paints a really strong picture of progress, but for me there is no better way to take the temperature of the renewable sector than at the annual Scottish Renewables Green Energy Awards. I have been going to this gathering for many years and I think that last year it felt very different because there was a level of confidence that I hadn't seen before. There was certainly some incredible innovation being celebrated but it was also great to see so many young professionals, young people actually joining this industry and especially women who are really driving the change in a driving innovation in the sector. That confidence is reflected in the recent Scottish Renewables supply chain survey, which showed that 89 per cent of companies now think that renewable energy is the largest economic opportunity for Scotland. 94 per cent of those companies and supply chain have invested in upskilling and 83 per cent have recently recruited new employees. It is important that the supply chain is grown here in Scotland as much as we can. The STUC Mind the Gat report out today points to the critical importance of a green industrial strategy to guide that growth and to also crowd in investment. I agree with Sarah Boyack that there is a strong role for the public sector in delivering that mission. I also agree with Maurice Golden that there are really exciting opportunities here in the supply chain. The re-powering of wind farms—that does not mean a wind farm on every hill. We can actually re-power some existing wind farms that we have. We can even re-power your wind farm if you want to make it generate many hundreds of times more capacity than you currently provide to the grid. However, those exciting opportunities for re-powering exist. We will talk about that later on at the cross-party crew. Whether that needs an amendment to the circular economy bill, I do not know, Mr Golden, but I think that a sector-wide approach could really deliver the benefits here. The growth of onshore and offshore wind will be critical to drive the continued electrification of our society from heating to transport and beyond. I am sure that the minister will be responding to this debate and is very well aware of the criticality of renewable electricity generation in decarbonising the heat in our buildings. However, there are vulnerabilities here. I think that Sarah Boyack has already pointed to one of those, because we are seeing a real surge in consent applications right now, and that is not being matched by the capacity of the energy consents unit. I understand that currently 25 per cent of posts within the consents unit are currently vacant and that there are delays with work programmes, for example, looking at streamlining the consenting process. I am well aware of the financial pressures that this Government is under. Of course, we have that national shortage of planners, so it is difficult to fix overnight, but I would urge the Government to start looking with some urgency about how we fix the consenting delays. That does not mean short-cutting processes. It does not mean ignoring communities, but it does mean ensuring that consent delays are brought down. Last week's climate change committee report, a huge wake-up call, but the good news out of that report was that the Scottish Renewable Electricity generation is on track, and that is going to bring a huge benefit for the future. There is a fresh wave of confidence in the Scottish Renewable sector right now. We should be doubling down on that success, but it is important that the Government plays its role in facilitating that growth, especially through speedy decision-making when it comes to projects that involve communities. It is robust, but it gets the job done and gets us to that 2030 target of doubling on-shore wind capacity. Renewable technologies play a significant component role in Scotland's energy mix, contributing towards our work to reach net zero. It is welcome news to hear in Scotland that the Renewable sector employs more than 42,000 people in full-time work, with the sector contributing more than £10 billion to our economy. That is a remarkable achievement, and those in the sector should be proud. However, it is disappointing that the Scottish Government cannot give us a breakdown of where those jobs are being created. That would give us an idea if there is a true transition of jobs in the north-east. Jobs that the Renewable sector creates and sustains are good jobs. They are skilled and well-paid, with the average salary in the industry being around £44,600. Scotland should embrace the opportunities and benefits that the industry provides with open arms. We recognise the length and breadth of the islands. That is why, in the spring budget, the Chancellor announced £1 billion of funding for the contracts for a different scheme. The scheme has been welcomed by the industry and will support the development of the new energy technologies of the future. The S&P Greens like to flaunt their record on climate like it is something to be proud of. Just last week, the climate change committee's report showed that it is certainly nothing to flaunt. Targets are missed and unobtainable, and a plan for the future is nowhere to be seen. This weekend, we were treated to a spectacular stage show of nationalist fantasy economics, guest-starring the self-proclaimed energy-obsessed Gillian Martin. The minister took part in the event organised by disgraced former Aberdeen S&P councillor Karen Van Sweden, who the First Minister had to apologise for after her racist comments directed at Labour councillor Dina Tocera. During the minister's performance, she spoke of how she believed that her government's just transition would mean that everyone in Scotland will be able to get a job in the energy sector. In fact, we have more jobs than people, she said. It reminded me often that Alex Salmond said that we were going to be the Saudi Arabia of wind. I will give way. Leaving the politics aside, there is some benefit to the work that is going on right now around heating buildings. Aberdeen heating power, for example, shows exactly how we can roll that district heating scheme. Can the member reflect that this Government is doing some really good work on heating buildings, a really good work that was recognised by the UK Climate Change Committee last week in their report, and hopefully he can get on board with that as well and celebrate the success in his own region? If there is success in that, no Aberdeen heating power works well, but my point is that the minister has to be honest with people. Coming out with statements like that is just not believable, and it does a disservice to the whole industry. When it comes to creating those high-skilled, well-paid jobs, the Luddite Scottish Government are depriving our communities of them through their ban of new nuclear. That ridiculous stance just demonstrates how out of touch they are with the western world and indeed with the Scottish people. Nuclear is clean, green and reliable, and it delivers cheap energy to thousands of homes. We need a diverse mix of green energy technology capable of meeting our demands as we transition our energy best. The SNP are blocking that. Refusing to follow the science, the SNP have pursued technologies that will seek the mass industrialisation of the Scottish countryside. In the north-eastern highlands, our beautiful rural landscapes are now threatened with monstrous pylons due to this Government's obsession to chase offshore wind at any cost. Communities across rural Scotland will not stand for it. They will not be made to pay the price for this Government's prioritisation of the central belt. The rush to offshore wind cannot be at any cost to our communities. Many parts of the north of Scotland are rightly angry at the scale of the infrastructure planned on their doorstep. They feel neglected, they feel ignored and they feel that they are paying a disproportionate price for our journey towards net zero. The Scottish Government controls the planning system, and it needs to ensure that impact to communities is mitigated whenever possible. Last week, I attended the electricity system operator launch of the beyond 2030 plan. That will mean even more industrialisation of large chunks of the north-east, while the ink is not yet dry on the up to 2030 plan and will set alarm bells ringing for many north-east communities. Those upgrades can only take place if we bring communities with us. We owe it to our constituents that we ensure that their voices are heard, and their homes are not collateral damage in our journey to net zero. I now invite Patrick Harvie to respond to the debate. Most members began, of course, by thanking Audrey Nicholl for bringing today's debate to the chamber. That is more than just the usual courtesy. We begin most members' business debates in that way, but this topic is absolutely critical to the future of Scotland's economy. The majority of members who have spoken in today's debate very clearly get that and see the very positive opportunity for the future. I am particularly grateful to Audrey Nicholl for bringing the debate and to those other members who have engaged constructively and positively in the debate that she has brought. As well as Audrey Nicholl, Sarah Boyack, Kenny Gibson and Mark Ruskell put the issue into the context of the long-running positive story that Scotland has to tell about the transition not just away from fossil fuels but assertively and positively towards a renewable future. The scepticism that was abounded when initial renewable energy targets were set, as Sarah Boyack reminded us, has been proved to be false. Most of Scotland's political spectrum has been committed to a long-term, clear signal from Government that we are serious about the transition to renewables and that we are serious about getting an economic benefit from that. That long-term certainty is why we have been successful. I hope that Scotland's political spectrum, or at least most of it, remains fully committed to this positive future for Scotland. I want to welcome the findings of the Fraser of Allander Institute report, showing that thriving renewable energy sector that other members have described. Over £10 billion of output in 2021 is supporting both 42,000 jobs. That report and today's debate are helpful in reminding us of the beneficial impact to Scotland that the transition to net zero is having—not only reducing emissions but tangibly benefiting our economy and our communities and ensuring that Scotland seizes its benefits. On offshore wind, we can see a rapidly developing sector, one that is already helping to deliver on our ambition to provide a new, stronger and more productive Scottish economy with a world-class renewables workforce. Over 15,000 jobs and the laser report from the offshore wind industry council predicting jobs in the sector across the UK could grow to over 100,000 by 2030. Scotland reflects significant market ambition for offshore wind in Scottish waters. It is delivered over £750 million in revenue to the public purse in initial option fees. The Scottish Government welcomes the commitment of developers to invest an average projection of £1.5 billion in Scotland per project across the 20 offshore wind projects. I would like to hope that we can all agree that offshore wind represents a significant opportunity for jobs and for Scotland more generally. Scotland continues also to lead the way with our deployment on onshore wind, which still has significant potential for growth. The Fraser of Allander report estimates already over 12,000 jobs supported by the sector. On shore wind is one of the lowest cost ways of producing electricity, so we are keen to continue working closely with the sector through the onshore wind sector deal to realise our ambition of increasing capacity to 20 gigawatts by 2030. That will help to create further opportunities and positive impacts across our economy while delivering long-term value for consumers as well. In the marine space, Scotland is in a prime position for the development and deployment of tidal stream and wave energy. Scotland is home to almost all of the approximately 10 megawatts of operational tidal stream energy capacity in the UK and more than half the total capacity installed globally. The sector will continue to grow with projects in Scotland receiving around 30 megawatts of the total, 53 megawatts of tidal stream capacity supported in the fifth allocation round of the UK Government's contract for difference. The development of the renewable energy sector will also bring wider benefits as a result of investment in supply chains. The announcement of the £24.5 million Summitomo grant award that has been mentioned already will help support the first cable factory in Europe with the potential for hundreds of high-quality green jobs in the highlands. That will be hugely important as an addition to our supply chains for offshore renewable energy generation and distribution, and it will help to support our move towards net zero. It is an example of the wider economic opportunities that the renewable energy sector can stimulate—it is already stimulating. It is a real example of the public sector working together with industry for the benefit of Scotland's economy and environment. Clean heat—yes, I will give way. On that particular point about the public sector working with a private sector, a minister has not mentioned solar yet tonight. Would the minister accept that there are huge opportunities in solar, both in terms of solar farms given the new tech that is actually developing, but also in our homes and buildings? Would it help if we still had a grant to enable individual homeowners to get a grant to put solar on their roofs and also work across our cities and towns to see if we could do more urban solar developments? Yes, indeed. We still have grant funding available for the installation of solar. We direct that to support the installation of clean heating as well, because that is the way of getting the maximum decarbonisation benefit. However, as we continue to do work completing the just transition and energy strategy, we will continue to develop work that was announced a few months ago on the development of a solar ambition for Scotland. I want to mention something about clean heat and energy efficiency, because those are also critical to our transition and meeting our targets and getting that public benefit through community scale as well as decentralised ownership and involving the public sector as well. This morning, I spoke at the start of the Scottish Enterprise clean heat event in Glasgow, bringing together Scottish companies, investors, consumers and innovators within the sector, making the connections to bring that sector together and highlighting the huge opportunity that is presented to companies within our supply chain in this transition. That event highlighted the really strong foundations that Scotland already has with people and businesses who are already engaged in that transition. I am really encouraged by the discussions and connections that are being made to collaborate together as we develop our policy and regulation proposals for heat in buildings. As we move towards net zero to deliver those high-skilled jobs, we are also committed to maximising community benefit from them and ownership of energy projects. We are encouraging developers to offer community benefit and to share ownership opportunities to communities as standard on all new renewable energy projects. Over the years ahead, we must continue to push forward to deliver an energy system that supports net zero by 2045. That will require collaboration with the UK Government. We have consistently urged the UK Government to provide an appropriate market mechanism, for example, for hydropower to ensure that its potential is fully realised and to unlock the substantial private investment to develop further pump hydro storage. As we transition to net zero, we also need new flexibility and market arrangements that will support a range of other storage technologies, including at commercial, community and domestic scale. That is critical to ensuring that we maintain security of supply as well as making the most of our electricity network. We should all be excited about the potential for our communities, for our economy and for Scotland more generally as we transition to net zero. The report that Audrey Nicholl has brought a debate on for us to discuss today demonstrates the scale of that benefit that we have made already and that is yet to be delivered and that the Government is determined to continue to support as it is delivered in the years and decades ahead.