In a move heavily criticised by campaign groups as climate change strengthens hold, the Scottish government recently scrapped its 2030 target of cutting climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions by 75%, blaming the central British government for the development.
The move came in response to a report published last month by the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) that highlighted Scotland’s concerning position in terms of climate action, according to the Reuters media agency.
Overall weakening of climate ambition by Rishi Sunak
Speaking before the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh, Mairi McAllan, the Net Zero Secretary for Scotland’s devolved government noted: “We accept the CCC’s recent re-articulation that this parliament’s interim 2030 target is out of reach.”
She, nonetheless, said that Scotland is navigating through cuts to the capital funding it receives from the British government, besides highlighting an overall weakening of climate ambition by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, reported Reuters.
Sunak in September pushed back climate objectives on phasing out new petrol cars and gas-powered domestic heating boilers. He noted at the time that Britain could afford to move at a slower pace because it was ahead of its peers on cutting harmful emissions.
Scotland’s climate target more ambitious than Britain’s
The Scottish government controls some elements of climate and environmental policy. But others, such as almost all energy policy, is being controlled by the British government in London. McAllan tried to describe a situation similar to “one hand tied behind our back.”
But the member of the pro-independence Scottish National Party expressed Scotland’s unflinching commitment to reaching net zero by 2045. Campaigners have reacted angrily to the move. Oxfam Scotland called it a “reprehensible retreat”.
Scotland’s 2030 target is, nonetheless, more ambitious than the overall Britain’s commitment of at least 68% emission reduction. Moreover, Scotland’s 2045 objective is also more ambitious than the 2050 target set by the British government.
