Scottish government to abandon pledge to cut carbon emissions 75% by 2030

(The Guardian, 18 Apr 2024) In ‘acute global embarrassment’, Scotland expected to instead follow UK and Wales by adopting five-year carbon budgets.

The Scottish government is to abandon its “world-leading” goal to cut carbon emissions by 75% by 2030, after repeatedly missing its legally binding targets.

Màiri Macallan, the Scottish net zero secretary, is expected to announce Scotland will instead follow the UK and Welsh government’s lead by adopting five yearly “carbon budgets”, in a significant policy climbdown.

The Scottish government came under intense criticism from the UK Climate Change Committee last month. It said the 2030 target was “no longer credible” because of slow and insufficient action on home heating, transport, farming and nature restoration.

Environment campaigners are furious about the move, which follows repeated claims by Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, successive first ministers, that Scotland was a global leader on climate action.

Jamie Livingston, head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “With the world becoming a dirtier and deadlier place every day, any decision to rewrite Scotland’s climate rulebook would be an acute global embarrassment.

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The Guardian, 18 Apr 2024: Scottish government to abandon pledge to cut carbon emissions 75% by 2030