Scottish Budget - Annex A.4 - Transport, Net Zero & Just Transition

20th December 2023

This portfolio has the lead role in driving the Scottish Government's commitment to deliver a Just Transition to net zero as well as providing a resilient, accessible and affordable transport network.

This includes the cross-government co-ordination of net zero policy to drive down Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience to the impacts that the climate and nature crisis are having on our businesses and communities, environmental protection, sustainable development, and supporting a Just Transition all of which is delivered by Transport Scotland and core Scottish Government directorates along with a range of public bodies and agencies across transport, climate and environment.

The portfolio delivers a significant portion of the Scottish Government's capital and infrastructure programme across both the transport network and Low Carbon/Net Zero programmes, including loans to support Heat in Buildings investment and encourage the switch to low carbon vehicles and bikes. As a result, it has been particularly impacted by the UK Government’s decisions to reduce funding of capital and financial transactions and has had to adapt spending plans accordingly, while continuing to deliver the Government’s policy priorities as well as ensuring a safe and resilient transport network.

Transport Scotland and its subsidiaries are focused on delivering the Scottish Government’s vision for transport as set out in the National Transport Strategy. This includes maintaining and safely operating our existing systems, providing funding to key public transport services including bus, rail, and ferries as well as maintaining and improving the trunk road network, including the A9 Dualling Programme. The portfolio will continue to encourage modal shift to public transport through initiatives like the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme, with over 100 million free bus journeys made by people aged under 22 across Scotland, as well as making progress on new commitments to asylum seekers on bus and young people on ferries.

We provide funding to Network Rail in Scotland to deliver a significant programme of maintenance, renewals and enhancements, and we support the delivery of new vessels and port infrastructure to improve island connectivity. We will continue to take actions on net zero in the transport sector, through initiatives such as the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund and Community Bus Fund, the rolling programme of rail electrification, the vision for Scotland’s public Electric Vehicle Charging network and continued record investment in active travel to deliver a shift from driving to walking, wheeling and cycling for short everyday journeys.

We will focus our resources on particularly critical areas of our net zero ambition, such as heat in buildings and ensuring our public transport system is maintained to provide an alternative to car use. We recently launched our Heat in Buildings Bill consultation which focused on how we will decarbonise our homes and buildings and support people and businesses to improve energy efficiency and move to clean heating. This will not only help to cut one of our major sources of emissions but reduce the exposure of households and businesses to volatile gas prices.

Through the Just Transition Fund, we will continue to support ongoing pioneering projects in a range of sectors including offshore green hydrogen production and large-scale carbon sequestration and habitat restoration.

At COP28, we reaffirmed our commitment to addressing Loss and Damage, committing a further £2 million from our Climate Justice Fund, supporting vulnerable communities in Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi and elsewhere who are bearing the brunt of the impacts of the climate crisis.

We are investing in Scotland’s transition to a circular economy and programmes to reduce consumption and re-use our resources, modernise recycling and to decarbonise the disposal of waste, including major delivery programmes for extended producer responsibility and digital waste tracking. We will continue to provide funding to protect, restore and value nature, through our environmental regulators, to make sure we maintain a safe, healthy and sustainable environment for the people of Scotland.

Transport, Net Zero & Just Transition intended contributions to the National Outcomes
Primary National Outcomes

Communities
Economy
International
Environment
Secondary National Outcomes

Poverty
Children and Young People
Education
Fair Work and Business
Health
Culture
Human Rights

For further information on the purpose of the portfolio budget, and contributions to national outcomes (including impacts of spend on equality of outcome) please refer to the relevant portfolio annex in the published Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement.

The devil in the details with reduced rail spending and reduction in Capital spending.
Read al the figures and tables HERE