There is a possibility that Scotland is going to miss its legally binding net zero target by up to 20 million tonnes, according to official data seen by the Guardian. Scotland has set itself an ambitious target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2045.
Scotland has often been described as a global leader on the climate and praised for its unflinching commitment to the issue. But internal official assessments suggest the target is probably out of reach if certain steps are not taken.
These steps include a huge increase in spending on forests and peatland restoration, farming reform and a substantial reliance on untested or really costly machinery to take the planet heating carbon emissions out of the atmosphere.
Scotland released 41.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2021. The aforementioned assessments suggest that it is going to be able to cut that total by only about 50% in the next 20 years. Experts blame past delays in cutting emissions for the problem.
