The SNP-Green administration has decided to abandon its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030.
Whilst greenhouse gas emissions have been falling, as evidenced by 2021 statistics showing a fall of 49.2% compared with baseline level in 1990, the pace is insufficient.
Similar notable u-turns by Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, in the reversal of his Net Zero agenda last September, and Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer’s recent rescind on his £48 billion investment into the green energy sector, show Scotland following suit.
Whilst Scotland’s commitment to become fully Net Zero by 2045 will remain, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned that “the acceleration required in emissions reduction to meet the 2030 target is now beyond what is credible.”
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, Màiri McAllan, who updated MSPs on the Scottish Government’s response to the CCC Report, has admitted that these climate targets, within this time frame, are no longer attainable.
What Went Wrong with the Emission Agenda?
The SNP, often referred to as pioneers on climate change policy, was one of the first governments to declare a climate emergency, which led them to subsequently introduce sustainability targets in 2019. But questions have arisen over whether the emergency response ever came.
It has become known that ministers have missed eight of the last twelve annual targets and have been told that reaching the 75% milestone by the end of the decade is ‘unachievable’ by climate experts. For Scotland to cut harmful emissions by 75% within six years, it would require the rate of emission reduction in most sectors to increase by a factor of nine – something which is almost impossible.
Whilst the CCC had already warned Scotland back in 2022 that it had lost its lead over the rest of the UK in tackling the issue, all possibilities have now run out.
Part of the issue lies with the fact that Scotland was in part held to a fortune with the yearly totals heavily influenced by the winter weather which determines how much gas is used to heat up homes.
The Green Party states that the current system has failed with too much emphasis placed on targets, rather than policies. Whilst this could be seen as a pledge to convince their voters that scrapping targets is the right decision, it is true that these targets are too far-reaching.
What Now: Implications and Responses:
Abolishing the targets altogether and perhaps setting a lower 2030 target appears to be the most likely course of action that will be taken by the Scottish Government.
Rather than annual targets, ministers would be told how much greenhouse gas could “safely” be emitted during a parliamentary term and must produce a plan to achieve that. This would entail an end to the legal requirement of successive environment secretaries having to explain why the targets have been missed.
Needless to say, the Scottish government has received a backlash from the environmental community with some, such as Head of Oxfam Scotland, Jamie Livingstone, labelling the situation as “an acute global embarrassment.”
“The Scottish Government choosing to scrap its 2030 climate targets would be the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament…”
“The climate crisis demands urgent action now – not broken promises. Over a decade has been wasted when Ministers could have been delivering warm homes, reliable public transport, and clear pathways to green jobs. Instead, the Scottish Government have kept millions of people trapped in a broken status quo.”
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, Màiri McAllan, however, has kept positive about Scottish efforts to attain Net Zero targets, and instead insists it is the fault of other’s mismanagement. She has claimed that Scotland was “halfway to Net Zero,” she also said Scottish ministers were trying to deliver on climate change with “one hand tied behind our back” because of UK government financial mismanagement and the “continuing constraints of devolution.”
Friends of the Earth
Final Thought:
As Scotland grapples with the repercussions of shifting climate targets, the imperative for decisive action remains paramount. While the abandonment of overly ambitious goals may signify a necessary pivot, the real measure of success lies in concrete policy implementations and steadfast commitment.
To gain more insight from Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, Màiri McAllan, on how tackling climate change is a feminist issue – examining how the lives of women and girls are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change across the world, click here to sign up to our newsletter to receive access to our new edition of the Chamber journal. Or buy a copy by visiting the Chamber online shop at www.chamberuk.com/shop.
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