Ministerial Foreword
The preparation of an Energy Efficiency Action Plan was a key commitment in the 10 Energy Pledges, which I announced in February 2009 as part of a Greener Deal for Scotland. These Pledges form a coherent approach to energy issues in Scotland. The actions range across key areas of energy generation and transmission, energy efficiency and transport, and they focus on addressing both short and longer term opportunities for Scotland to benefit from its competitive advantage. They are aimed at creating new jobs, reducing emissions, and saving households and businesses money, thereby contributing to economic recovery and growth and addressing climate change. The Pledges support the key themes of the Update on the Scottish Economic Recovery Programme, published on 15 June: jobs and communities; education and skills; and innovation and industries of the future. Delivery of the 10 Energy Pledges will make a vital contribution to delivering a low-carbon economy.
Much of the focus of public debate around our energy work has been on energy supply. However, taking effective action to tackle energy consumption is just as important. This was a key theme in the recent comprehensive and well-argued report by the Scottish Parliament's Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee on Scotland's energy future.* I welcome the Committee's emphasis and am pleased to publish this consultation paper on an energy efficiency action plan as a start to our extensive engagement with Scotland's people and businesses on what our common priorities in this area should be.
The world-leading Climate Change (Scotland) Act makes this work especially important. It sets a statutory emissions reduction target of at least 80% by 2050 and an interim target of 42% by 2020. The Scottish Government is also a partner in the delivery of the UK's Climate Change Act 2008. The Climate Change Delivery Plan, published on 17 June 2009, gives primacy to cost-effective demand reduction and energy efficiency across all sectors. This isn't just about Scottish Government taking action: the aim is to provide a framework so that everybody in Scotland can do their bit and we maximise the benefits from EU and UK regulations and frameworks.
This consultation paper is deliberately extensive and comprehensive, outlining both current and proposed activity, as well as exploring the many issues around energy efficiency and the associated economic and climate change challenges facing Scotland. It is intended to initiate debate and to engage people across Scotland. There is full opportunity to feed in material before the final plan is produced, including both through written responses (see Annex A) and at the stakeholder engagement sessions that we propose to hold across Scotland. The Action Plan will be published in early 2010, following this consultation and analysis of the responses. We welcome your contributions.
John Swinney
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
* Scottish Parliament Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, 7th Report, 'Determining and delivering on Scotland's energy future', 30 June 2009 ( http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/eet/reports-09/eer09-
07-vol01-01.htm).