Scotland to cut emissions by 75% by 2030

The Scottish government's new Climate Change Bill will commit 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.

In addition, the Scottish government has adopted a new target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 – which it said was “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 1.5ºC.” The government said the Bill will demonstrate global leadership on addressing global warming.

It will also take supporting actions, including commissioning advice from the Committee on Climate Change on the UK wide pathway to 2030; requiring ministerial reporting on progress annually; and establishing a Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change to make recommendations to ministers.

Scotland's climate change secretary, Roseanna Cunningham (pictured), said: “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.”

In addition last week, the Scottish Government launched a new five-year programme to help prepare for the impact of climate change. It said its new Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-24 will help it identify the actions Scotland needs to take to adapt to a changing climate.

• The Labour Party Conference last week voted for a 2030 net zero target. In her speech, shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey announced plans to support decarbonisation including a publicly owned electric vehicle charging network and a seven-fold increase in offshore wind within 12 years, with majority public ownership in all new farms.