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The Scottish government has said it will abandon its 2030 target for reducing emissions after advisers said it was “not achievable”.
In March, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) said that “continued delays” in implementing previously promised climate policies made the 2030 goal “beyond credible”.
Speaking to the Scottish Parliament, net zero minister Mairi McAllan admitted that the target was “out of reach”, although plans to stick to a 2045 net zero goal will remain. She said new legislation will be brought forward to introduce multi-year ‘carbon budgets’ to replace the current annual targets.
The CCC said that Scotland missed its annual target for 2021 for the eighth time in the previous 12 years. The only sectors to reduce emissions in 2021 were electricity supply and industry. Most key indicators of progress, such as tree planting, peatland restoration rates and heat pump installations, are off-track.
As part of the concession, McAllan announced a number of new initiatives designed to ramp up Scotland’s climate action. This included:
- Promising to deliver approximately 24,000 additional electric vehicle chargepoints by 2030
- An integrated ticketing system that can be used across all public transport
- A pilot scheme to support the roll-out of methane-suppressing food products to reduce emissions from livestock
- A consultation on a new carbon tax on the largest estates to encourage peatland restoration, tree planting and renewable energy generation
- Helping people reduce their reliance on cars with aims to see a 20% fall in their use by 2030
The Scottish government said it was already around halfway to net zero and the country had decarbonised faster than the UK average. In 2022 87.9% of electricity generation was from zero- or low-carbon sources, nearly 63% of new woodlands in the UK were created in Scotland in 2022-23 and more than two million Scots are now eligible for free bus travel.
“The race to net zero is one that we must all win, and I want to begin by affirming this government’s unwavering commitment to ending our contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest, as agreed by parliament on a cross-party basis,” McAllan said.
“I was grateful for the latest report from the CCC on our progress in reducing emissions. The CCC are a key partner in our net zero journey and their insights are essential.
“But rightly, just as with the UK government, the CCC challenges us to go further. And that is exactly what we will do as of today. I have announced a new package of climate action measures, which we will deliver with partners to support Scotland’s transition to net zero.”
Claire Mack, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, expressed disappointment at the newly relaxed timeframe. “At this crucial time, we need to signal confidence to investors and our supply chain that Scotland is the best place in the world to build renewable energy projects that deliver energy security, economic growth and carbon reduction at scale,” she said.
“The Scottish government must learn the lessons of these missed targets by urgently acting on the clear recommendations of the CCC and delivering the strong policies needed to support delivery.”
