Scotland will fail to meet its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target, the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned. The levels of progress that would be necessary to reach the target by the end of the decade were a step too far, according to the CCC. Scotland has missed eight of the past 12 annual emissions targets. To hit its 2030 target, emissions would need to be cut by 75% compared to levels in 1990. The Scottish government said that the target was challenging.
The CCC has previously accused Scotland of falling behind England in relation to climate change policy. The sector of most concern is buildings and transport, which are failing to decarbonise at the necessary rate. To meet the target, emissions from buildings will need to be cut by 70% in the next 10 years, while emissions from transport will need to be halved. Heat pump installations are not on track, with only 6,000 installed, while the CCC claims that recycling rates have shown no real improvement in the past decade.
A spokesperson from Oxfam Scotland noted that the CCC’s warning was a betrayal of both future generations and poorer countries already having to deal with the consequences of climate change. Friends of the Earth Scotland stated that the Scottish government policies on climate change have had catastrophic consequences.
Scotland’s target for cutting emissions is tougher than the overall UK target. Scotland aims to reduce emissions by 75% compared to the UK target of 68%.
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