Scotland is “slowing down on climate action at precisely the moment we should be speeding up”

[Comment from Friends of the Earth Scotland on the CCC’s advice to the Scottish Government on Scotland’s carbon budgets.]

The CCC calls on the Scottish Government to deliver “immediate action, at pace and scale” to get back on the path to net-zero.

Last year the Scottish Government scrapped annual climate targets, including the critical 75% by 2030 target which had been set in law just five years earlier, after repeated government failure to act resulted in the CCC saying that the “required acceleration in emissions reductions in Scotland” was “now beyond what is credible”.

Today’s report states that the Scottish Government could now not reach the 75% target until 2036 – 6 years later than originally planned.

The Scottish Government had missed nine of the previous 13 year’s climate targets. Recent analysis by environmental groups showed that ten major climate policies have been “scrapped or vanished” in the last year since John Swinney became First Minister.

Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaigns Caroline Rance commented:

“These carbon budgets see Scotland slowing down on climate action at precisely the moment we should be speeding up. The climate crisis is intensifying. Here in Scotland, our farmers and firefighters are dealing with drought and fires following the driest spring in 60 years.

“There was no need for the Scottish Government to switch from annual targets to carbon budgets. The original 2030 target could and should have been met. The problem was not the targets – it was the government’s lack of action to meet them. Now, another year has been wasted prevaricating over targets and budgets instead of making any real progress to address the climate crisis.

“It’s time for Swinney to stop kicking the can down the road and get on with action that will reduce climate pollution and improve the lives of people across Scotland – warm homes, reliable public transport, and a fair and fast transition away from expensive, polluting fossil fuels.”

On CCS, she said:

“The Scottish Government should take note of the fact that the CCC report did not advise any role for carbon capture and storage in electricity generation and reject the climate wrecking proposals for a new gas burning power station at Peterhead that would rely on this dodgy technology.

“Climate budgets must be met by rapidly and fairly cutting climate pollution, not by relying on the fantasy that new technology will come along to save us in the future.”