Scottish Government unveils long-awaited climate action plan

Holyrood can “no longer sit on its hands” when it comes to tackling climate change, MSPs were told as the Scottish Government published a new action plan.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin spoke out as the new draft climate change action plan was unveiled.

Ms Martin said the plan contained “over 150 actions” in key sectors such as transport, heating for buildings and agriculture that would be “key to achieving Scotland’s net zero goal”.

The Scottish Greens however branded the plan a “damp squib”, with Patrick Harvie saying: “Our expectations were low, and this still falls short.

“This government has opted for business as usual at a time when our planet is on fire.”

The plan has been produced after the Scottish Government was forced to scrap its target of cutting emissions by 75% by 2030.

Holyrood ministers also came under fire for missing nine out of 13 annual climate targets – with the Government now having moved away from yearly targets to a system of five-year carbon budgets instead.

Ms Martin insisted ministers’ commitment to reaching net zero by 2045 was “unwavering” – but she also stressed action was needed from the UK Government.

The Scottish Climate Action Secretary said “crucially” Westminster could act to reduce the price of electricity – a move which could potentially help encourage people into electric vehicles (EVs) and to switch away from gas heating.

She also complained of a lack of “essential information” about “when and how the UK Government will use its reserved powers to make clean heat systems more affordable”.

The draft plan recommits Scotland to phasing out new diesel and petrol cars by 2030, and  sets the target of “decarbonising” heating in buildings by 2045, which would see a switch away from  gas boilers or systems using oil.

“Changing the way we heat our homes is a critical step in reducing Scotland’s consumption-based emissions,” the action plan said.

It also proposes increasing Scotland’s woodlands, so that by 2029-30 18,000 hectares are planted a year.

Implementing the policies would cost £4.8 billion over the period 2026 to 2040, it said, but added this would bring benefits of £42.3 billion over the same period.

“Our analysis suggests that most of the direct benefits are anticipated to go to households and businesses,” the plan said.

“This is largely driven by the substantial forecasted financial benefits associated with the switch to EVs.”

Unveiling the plan to MSPs at Holyrood, Ms Martin said Scotland was “increasingly feeling the real-life impacts of climate change domestically”.

She added: “The growing frequency of storms, heatwaves and flooding events is impacting our health, our livelihoods and the resilience of our communities.”

As a result, Ms Martin said, the “Parliament can no longer sit on its hands”.

While she accused some parties at Holyrood of “opposing even modest proposals for the sake of opposition”, she said now there was a need to “back these aims with action and take responsibility”.

However Mr Harvie said the draft plan was a “long document that uses a lot of words to say very little”.

He added: “It is a missed opportunity and damp squib at a time when we need ambition and courage.”

On greener heating for buildings, Mr Harvie said the Government was proposing a target but with no mechanism for achieving it.

He added that ministers have “scrapped their road traffic reduction targets, and replaced them with nothing”.

Mr Harvie said: “This should have been a turning point, but instead this government is going backwards and refusing to take the bold actions it knows are necessary.

“Scotland has a huge green potential but the SNP are failing to match.”

Caroline Rance, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, meanwhile said: “This is a dreadful plan that will barely scratch the surface never mind get us back on track to meet our climate commitments.”

She added: “Government ministers have made a decision not to implement any available climate solutions that would help people in Scotland to tackle either the cost of living and/or climate breakdown.

“Previous plans to get cars off the road have been completely gutted and buses and trains are treated as an afterthought.”

And Labour net zero spokesperson Sarah Boyack said: “The SNP’s record on the environment is defined by broken promises and sticking plaster solutions.

“Time and time again we have seen targets missed, plans abandoned and strategies abandoned by the wayside.”

She added: “After years of failure from the SNP, we need action across Scotland to deliver the change we urgently need.”

Conservative energy spokesperson Douglas Lumsden said the statement was “yet more hot air from the SNP”.

The Tory said: “Even after repeatedly delaying their climate change plan, they still refuse to come clean about the true cost of how they plan to reach their net zero target by 2045.

“Families across Scotland are deeply concerned about what the nationalists are planning and if their bills will soar even further.”

Stressing the need to support Scotland’s North Sea oil and gas sector, Mr Lumsden added that the plan “shamefully fails to clarify whether the SNP still back a presumption against new oil and gas licences”.