Ministerial foreword
Scotland is on a Mission Zero for transport: a national collaborative effort to ensure our country is at the forefront for zero emissions, while people and places benefit fairly from the transition. Since its establishment in 2019, the Scottish Automotive Industry Advisory Group has been a clear example of the partnership working that is going to be critical to driving forward this Mission.
The members of this group represent a sector that has significant challenges in decarbonising including heavy duty and vehicles which either have power or configuration requirements that make zero emissions alternatives to current fossil fuel vehicles challenging.
This report provides an excellent account of progress in this context, including the development of the LOCATE zero emission powertrain test centre, DER Scotland
Industrialisation Centre and the establishment of the Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce, which has informed both SULEBS and SCOTZEBs funding and the introduction of 548 zero emission buses on to Scotland’s roads.
The IAG has also brought greater alignment between stakeholders on progress towards Mission Zero and the report highlights, in case studies, some of the impactful work of the sector in Scotland including: the Glasgow City hydrogen refuse truck innovation project and fleet initiative; zero emission bus manufacture by Alexander Dennis; and the development of the world’s first zero emissions fire engine by Emergency One.
A thriving transport sector is the vital backbone of the Scottish economy, and as Transport Minister I want to see Scotland’s sector becoming an engine driving a just transition to net zero across the country. The work of the IAG is a beacon of ambition and I’m confident that the sector will continue to show continued leadership as we move together towards 2045.
I look forward to continued partnership with all parts of the transport sector through an IAG, enlarged with additional members from across Scotland’s supply chain, as all parties work to co-deliver the vision set out in this report.