Scrapped climate target is global embarrassment - charities

Climate change protestors in Glasgow in 2021

Scottish government plans to scrap a key climate change target are a "global embarrassment", say environment campaigners.

Ministers are expected to confirm later that the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 has been dropped.

BBC Scotland News understands the government's annual climate targets could also be ditched, although the final aim of reaching net-zero by 2045 will remain.

Friends of the Earth Scotland branded it "the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament".

The charity's Connal Hughes said: "The Scottish government has had 15 years to bring forward the transformative action that would mean warm homes, good public transport and good green jobs.

"They haven't delivered. Instead of ramping up action they're scrapping targets and breaking promises."

He said it was "very concerning" that annual targets could be dropped as well.

Oxfam Scotland called for tax reforms to "incentivise polluters to clean up their acts".

The charity's Jamie Livingstone said: “With the world becoming a dirtier and deadlier place every day, any decision by Scottish ministers to re-write Scotland’s climate rulebook would be an acute global embarrassment.

"It would also be the direct and damaging consequence of the Scottish government’s own dilly dallying on climate action."

Greenpeace said the Scottish government had failed to deliver policies to meet its climate promises

UK political campaigner, Ami McCarthy, said: “Legislating to reduce Scotland’s climate ambition, fresh off the back of the planet's hottest ever recorded 12-month period, is like striking a match in a petrol station.

"It might not set the whole thing ablaze immediately but it’s clearly a dangerous step to take."

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said that Scotland had the "most stretching targets in the world" for climate change.

In 2019 the Scottish Parliament passed legislation to speed up the rate of decarbonisation.

However, the most recent statistics showed that eight out of 12 annual targets had been missed.

Emissions for 2021 were 49.2% lower than the baseline year of 1990.

Former first minister Alex Salmond told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland that the decision to "stretch" targets was a mistake, and that it was "hugely embarrassing" for First Minister Humza Yousaf.

Scotland's international development minister Kaukab Stewart told BBC Scotland's Debate Night that she was "very disappointed" by the news.

She added: " With the measures that we are taking locally here in Glasgow with active travel, investing in hydrogen buses, we are making progress on that. I am very disappointed."

Kaukab Stewart said she was "very disappointed" by the news

Earlier this year the Climate Change Committee - which provides independent advice to ministers - said that the 2030 target was now unreachable.

The 75% target was 5% more than experts had recommended.

In 2019 the Scottish Greens had argued for the goal to be 80% and abstained from the Climate Change Bill vote.

Green MSP Ross Greer said it was "a difficult day for the planet and Scotland".

He also argued that the Scottish Government's targets had been made on the assumption of a cooperative UK Government.

Mr Greer told BBC Scotland news that previous governments had not taken enough climate action and his party had "massively escalated" climate action since joining government.

He said people could "trust the Greens to make sure climate action is delivered in government".

Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar MSP, said the first minister had promised to "meet and better" Scotland’s climate targets.

But he added: “The fact is Humza Yousaf is rowing back on his climate targets while siding with oil and gas giants who are making record profits."

Douglas Lumsden, Scottish Conservative net zero spokesperson, said the decision was an "abject humiliation" for the government.

He added: “For all the boasting about their supposed environmental credentials, the reality is a succession of missed targets – and being forced to throw in the towel on this flagship pledge represents the biggest failure of the lot."

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said it was a "generational betrayal" from the SNP and the Scottish Greens over climate change promises.

He said: “When it came to doing the actual hard graft of insulating homes, planting trees or cutting emissions, they have proven to be woefully incompetent."