Scottish climate statistics “grim reminder” of scrapped targets

Climate campaigners have commented on Scotland’s 2023 climate pollution statistics saying they were a “grim reminder” of Ministers decision to scrap annual targets to cut pollution.

Last year the Scottish Government ditched its annual commitments to cut climate emissions after missing 9 out of 13 of the previous targets.  Campaigners labelled it the “worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament.”

The strengthened climate targets in 2019 set the goal of reducing emissions by 56.4% from the baseline. Today’s figures were just a 51.3% reduction, with actual emissions totalling 39.6 million tonnes.

Since John Swinney was appointed First Minister in May 2024, the Scottish Government has weakened plans to phase out expensive fossil fuel heating, scrapped plans to cut car use and failed to bring forward plans or investment to help oil workers transition to green jobs.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s senior climate campaigner Alex Lee (they/them) 
“Today is another grim reminder of Ministers’ dreadful decision to scrap annual climate targets because they simply didn’t deliver the action needed over many years. The 2023 target, like all the others, could and should have been met.

“Scotland is facing extreme wildfires and suffering from the driest spring in 60 years and yet Ministers are still considering building a new gas burning power station at Peterhead and can’t bring themselves to say that we shouldn’t be drilling for more oil in the North Sea.

“John Swinney’s year as First Minister has been one of no progress to reduce climate pollution or deliver on a fair transition. His team have been allowed to pay lip service to climate action whilst key policies that could improve lives have vanished or been scrapped.

“For too long Scottish Government Ministers have kept people trapped in cold homes, underserved by public transport and offered no certainty of a clear transition plan for oil workers. Climate solutions are the same solutions to the cost-of-living crisis – cheaper energy, affordable transport and secure jobs building the green infrastructure we need.”