Scotland on April 18 scrapped its target of cutting climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, blaming the central British government, but said it still intends to meet a 2045 net zero target.
The move came in response to a critical report published last month by the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC), which said Scotland was so far behind what was needed to meet the 2030 target that it was no longer credible.
"We accept the CCC's recent re-articulation that this parliament's interim 2030 target is out of reach," Mairi McAllan, the net zero secretary for Scotland's devolved government, told the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.
McAllan said Scotland was constrained by cuts to the capital funding it receives from the British government and an overall weakening of climate ambition by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Scotland's semi-autonomous government has control over some elements of climate and environmental policy, but others—most notably, almost all energy policy—remain under the control of the British government in London.
"We are trying to achieve societal and economic transformation, with one hand tied behind our back," she said.
McAllan, a member of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, said Scotland still had an "unwavering commitment" to reaching net zero by 2045.
Campaign groups reacted angrily to the move, with Oxfam Scotland calling it a "reprehensible retreat."
Piers Forster, Interim Chair of the CCC, said the removal of the 2030 target was deeply disappointing.
"We are reassured that the net zero target remains in place but interim targets and plans to deliver against them are what makes any net zero commitment credible," he said in a statement.
"Long term planning is vital for businesses, citizens, and future Parliaments. Today that has been undermined."
In September, Sunak pushed back climate targets on phasing out new petrol cars and gas-powered domestic heating boilers, saying Britain could afford to make slower progress because it was ahead of its peers on cutting emissions.
That was widely interpreted as a political move to try to maintain public support for net zero policies, which have seen pushback in Britain and a number of countries across Europe as voters baulk at their cost during hard economic times.
Scotland's 75% target—measured against a 1990 baseline level—was more ambitious than the overall Britain-wide commitment of at least 68% reduction by 2030.
Scotland's remaining 2045 net zero target is again more ambitious than the 2050 target set by the British government.
Recommended Reading
Exclusive: Silixa’s Distributed Fiber Optics Solutions for E&Ps
2024-03-19 - Todd Chuckry, business development manager for Silixa, highlights the company's DScover and Carina platforms to help oil and gas operators fully understand their fiber optics treatments from start to finish in this Hart Energy Exclusive.
CERAWeek: AI, Energy Industry Meet at Scary but Exciting Crossroads
2024-03-19 - From optimizing assets to enabling interoperability, digital technology works best through collaboration.
Cyber-informed Engineering Can Fortify OT Security
2024-03-12 - Ransomware is still a top threat in cybersecurity even as hacktivist attacks trend up, and the oil and gas sector must address both to maintain operational security.
Forum Energy Signs MOU to Develop Electric ROV Thrusters
2024-03-13 - The electric thrusters for ROV systems will undergo extensive tests by Forum Energy Technologies and SAFEEN Survey & Subsea Services.
Axis Energy Deploys Fully Electric Well Service Rig
2024-03-13 - Axis Energy Services’ EPIC RIG has the ability to run on grid power for reduced emissions and increased fuel flexibility.