The roadmap
Our plan is clear. Achieving Net Zero emissions from Scottish Industry as soon as possible – a roadmap sets out HOW we will achieve this.
Make no mistake, this is a complex issue. Scottish Industry currently emits about 11.9Mt CO2 per year, the same as 2.6 million cars*, or roughly all the cars in Scotland. These emissions are spread across the country from the Borders to the Shetland Islands as shown in the graphic below. However, the graphic also shows that many of the largest emitters are clustered together and that a relatively small number of sources account for much of the emissions.
*A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Source: EPA.gov

This is therefore a good place to start the work of getting industry to Net Zero and the Roadmap work that NECCUS is starting will begin in these areas – principally in the Central Belt of Scotland and in Aberdeenshire.
Even here the types of industry and the reasons for their CO2 emissions vary. Some generate most CO2 from the energy they consume – and here a clean fuel from either hydrogen or renewable electricity is key. While others create most of the CO2 emissions in the act of creating the products we need in everyday life, so capturing the CO2 and permanently storing it is essential. It may even be possible to utilise some of this CO2 to create Net Zero versions of essential products we use every day.
The importance of getting this right cannot be understated. In a Net Zero future, industry will be essential – for jobs, for the essentials we will still need in life, for our economy and the wellbeing of the communities built up around these traditional industries. This is why the work of the Roadmap will also support the goal of a Just Transition and the excellent work that the Just Transition Commission is doing in Scotland.
But, this effort is not just for the benefit of Scotland. By setting out solutions for this nation, we are also helping the rest of the UK and Europe – by both showing the way which they can follow and ensuring the products they use can be made in a Net Zero way.
Our Roadmap work commences in Q2 2020. We will start by focusing on the ideal design and the critical tools needed. Hopefully by Q4 2020 we will be on the journey in earnest and seeing the first results in 2021.