Climate targets scrapped: Worst decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament

Climate campaigners are furious that the Scottish Government’s has decided to scrap its 2030 targets to cut climate pollution labelling it “the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament”.

The Scottish Government’s repeated failure to bring in policies like improved public transport and better insulation and heating and homes has meant carbon emissions have not been reduced in line with the legal commitments.

Scrapping these targets will mean a rollback of climate action commitments, a reduction in scrutiny on Ministers and is a “betrayal” of those people impacted by climate breakdown.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Imogen Dow said:

“SNP and Green Ministers choosing to scrap these climate commitments is the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

“The 2030 target could and should have been met, but instead politicians are going to break their promises and betray both their constituents and the most vulnerable people already enduring the impacts of climate breakdown.

“Instead of using the past decade to deliver warm homes, reliable public transport and a fair transition away from fossil fuels, inept, short-termist politicians have kept millions of people trapped in the broken status quo that only benefits big polluters.

“These climate targets are based on what climate science says Scotland must do as part of the global effort to limit dangerous warming. Politicians right across the spectrum made a promise to the people of Scotland by backing strong 2030 targets, so they must be willing to work together to back the transformative ideas that improve lives and cut climate pollution.

“Government must come clean about what they can achieve by 2030, scale up action to get back on track, publish the delayed Climate Change Plan and apologise for their colossal climate failure.

“Instead of significant response and a ramping up of action, the Scottish Government has presented a weak package of re-heated ideas, many of which were already pledged years ago and never delivered.”