Dear Edward, Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee to discuss the programme of work that the Scottish Government is undertaking on climate change. You asked to be provided with some information in advance of this to support the Committee's preparation for that session - please find my response to that request below which I hope the Committee will find useful. Climate Change Plan and proposed Climate Change Bill As I announced on 18 April, development of the next Climate Change Plan is now continuing in the context of forthcoming proposals for legislative change. My immediate priority is to address the points raised by the CCC in their latest progress report and introduce legislation to Parliament in due course. It is important to underline that this Government remains fully committed to meeting our target of net zero emissions by 2045 at the latest. With emissions already cut by almost 50%, we are now entering the second half of our journey to net zero. While we are seeking to realign our target pathway to Climate Change Committee advice, I must be clear that there is no change in the challenge ahead: we have twenty years to finish the job and reach net zero. The hardest part of this journey is undoubtedly ahead of us and all parties must be prepared to join us in making the difficult delivery decisions that will be required to deliver our shared aim. This means we must continue driving down emissions as fast as we can, in a way that is just and fair. That is why this Government announced earlier this month a raft of new climate action in transport, agriculture, taxation, land use and industry. In this next phase of our journey these announcements will set the context for the next Climate Change Plan. The full package of new climate action can be found here but includes, for example: