Scotland’s contribution to climate change will end definitively
within a generation under the Climate Change Bill to be voted
on by the Scottish Parliament later.
The landmark legislation commits Scotland to becoming a
net-zero society by 2045 – five years before the rest of the
UK and in line with the advice from the government’s
independent expert advisors, the UK Committee on Climate
Change.
The Scottish Government will also respond to the global
climate emergency by adopting an ambitious new target to
reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 – the toughest statutory
target of any country in the world for this date going above
and beyond what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
said is required worldwide to limit warming to 1.5
degrees. To ensure we continue to take an evidence
based approach the Scottish Government will commission new
advice from the Committee on Climate Change on the UK wide
pathway to 2030.
Accountability for meeting the targets will be strengthened,
with Ministers now required to report on progress to tackle
climate change in every sector, every year.
A Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change will be created to
make recommendations to Ministers on how Scotland’s net-zero
transition should be achieved.
Climate Change Secretary said:
“Our new Climate Change Bill demonstrates what international
leadership on climate action means. Not only are we setting
legally binding targets to reduce emissions to net-zero in
direct response to the Paris Agreement, we are also putting
in place the most stringent framework of statutory targets of
any country in the world.
“We have already almost halved emissions since 1990. The
second half of Scotland’s journey to net-zero emissions will,
undoubtedly, require different, and in many cases much more
difficult, choices than has been the case to date but it is
clear people across Scotland want to see action.
“No one should be in any doubt of the Scottish Government’s
commitment to use every policy lever at our disposal to rise
to this challenge.
“Our end target is firmly based on what we are told is the
limit of what can currently be achieved. It is the
maximum possible ambition based upon the best available
science and requires the UK to take action to meet their
targets if Scotland is to meet ours. In the interim, while
there is some uncertainty over the precise route that can be
taken, we believe it is right to be as ambitious as possible
to drive the action required to make the changes we need.
“If parliament backs this legislation, we will seek further
advice from the Committee on Climate Change and publish an
update to our 2018-2032 Climate Change Plan showing the
pathway to our targets out to 2032 within six months of the
bill receiving royal assent. We will do so based on the
principles of just transition and shared national endeavour.
Our journey to becoming a net-zero society must leave no one
behind – we must take it together.”
Background
The new Climate Change Bill commits Scotland to a target of
net-zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045. This is
tougher than a net-zero carbon target, which commits only to
balancing carbon dioxide
emissions.
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on plans for
Public Sector bodies to set a date for zero emissions – under
which buildings, estates and entire operations would cease to
generate any emissions
The Scottish Government climate change plans cover a 15 year
period from publication. The current plan was published
in February 2018 and covers the period to 2032. This
plan will be updated following the bill receiving royal
assent.
