Campaigners hit out as legislation to amend climate targets is published

Legislation to amend Scotland’s climate change targets after the Scottish Government formally abandoned a key commitment has been published – with environmental campaigners claiming the move was the result of “years of inaction” by ministers.

They called for more action from the Government in the wake of the publication of the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill.

It formally removes from law the target of cutting emissions by 75% by 2030, which was dropped by the Government earlier this year.

That was abandoned in the wake of a report from expert advisers at the Climate Change Committee, which said the goal was “beyond credible”.

The new Bill, however, also moves move away from legally binding annual targets – which Scotland has missed for eight out of 12 years – to a system of five yearly carbon limits.

The change comes as the annual targets were said to be “vulnerable” to year on year fluctuations in emissions, which can vary because of factors outwith Government control, such as a particularly cold winter, or unexpected events like a global pandemic.

As the Bill was published, Gillian Martin, acting Net Zero Secretary, insisted however that the Scottish Government’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2045 was “unwavering”.

But she stated: “It is crucial that our target pathway to 2045 is set at a pace and scale that is feasible and reflects the latest independent advice.”

Lang Banks, director of the environmental charity WWF Scotland said, however, that “years of inaction have led to the Scottish Government having to make these changes to its climate targets”.

He added: “By not achieving our 2030 ambition, there’s an increased burden on other countries to reduce their emissions, and only delays the benefits for people in Scotland like warmer homes and cleaner air.

“It is vital that we now see real action from the Scottish Government by kickstarting the clean heat transition and reforming agricultural policy.

Meanwhile, Lewis Ryder-Jones, of Oxfam Scotland, said: “This Bill shouldn’t be needed, but it’s the price of past failures.”

And Rosie Hampton, of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said the Scottish Government was “slowing progress” on the environment.

She stated: “The climate crisis is here and is destroying lives and livelihoods today. The need for an urgent and fair transition away from fossil fuels cannot be overstated, yet ministers are slowing progress, defunding programmes and abdicating their responsibility to people on the front line of climate breakdown.”

However, Ms Martin stressed Scotland was “halfway to net zero ” and was “ahead of the UK as a whole in delivering long-term emissions reductions”.

She added the move to five-year carbon budgets would bring in an “established model for assessment of emissions reductions used by other nations including Japan, France, and Wales”.

She pledged: “We will continue leading on climate action that is fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency before us, and reflects our commitment to the ambition of credible emissions reduction.

“We are maintaining our commitment to a just transition to net zero and progressing our international work on climate change.”