Net Zero minister Mairi McAllan has told the Scottish Parliament that the Scottish government's flagship 2030 climate change target is "out of reach"
Ms McAllan has ditched the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030.
She blamed UK government cuts and backtracking on climate measures for the move
The final goal of reaching "net-zero" by 2045 will remain
The Scottish Conservatives said it was an "absolute humiliation" for the SNP and Green government at Holyrood.
Scottish Labour said Scotland had gone from a "world leader in setting targets to a world leader in scrapping targets".
2030 climate target 'out of reach', says minister
Humza Yousaf points out almost a quarter of the hate crime reported victims are police officers.
The first minister says many suffer "outrageous abuse".
He points out if the Hate Crime Act did not exist it would have removed protection against stirring up hatred for those who suffer abuse.
The Tories are more interested in shoddy headlines than actually protecting people from abuse, he says.
Scotland's first minister has said transgender women will be protected under any new misogyny laws.
Humza Yousaf insisted that "anyone affected" by misogyny would be covered, whatever their biological sex.
He also insisted the Scottish government would not spend an "inordinate" amount of time deciding whether to follow the recommendations of the recent Cass Review into gender care.
The Scottish government wants to introduce a bill to tackle misogyny before the end of the current parliamentary term in 2026, following a review carried out by the human rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy KC.
Women were not included in the recent Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 that was introduced on 1 April - a decision that Mr Yousaf said had followed discussions with a number of women's groups.
When asked whether fresh legislation would cover transgender women, Mr Yousaf said that it would, as whoever was directing misogynistic abuse would be unaware if a woman was trans or not.
Douglas Ross says when the Scottish Tories opposed the Hate Crime Act, they warned the legislation would over-burden the already overstretched police.
The Scottish Tory leader says that's exactly what's happened with 40 officers a day being brought in for overtime to deal with 9,000 reports of hate crimes in the first two weeks.
He quotes Calum Steele, the general secretary of the international council of police associations, who has said "police officers have been left embarrassed by the hate crimes farce".
"Why does Humza Yousaf think that he is right and the police are wrong?," he asks.
Image source, PAClimate change protestors in Glasgow in 2021
So, as we've been reporting, the climate change statement this afternoon is expected to confirm that the Scottish government's target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 has been dropped.
Ministers have missed eight of the last 12 annual targets and have been told that reaching the 75% milestone by the end of the decade is now unachievable.
It is understood that the government's annual climate targets could also go, but that the final goal of reaching "net-zero" by 2045 will remain.
The news has been greeted with dismay by environmental groups.
Friends of the Earth Scotland branded it "the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament" while Oxfam Scotland said the decision is an "acute global embarrassment."
Scotland's international development minister Kaukab Stewart told BBC Scotland's Debate Night that she was "very disappointed" by the news.
Image source, PAIt's been another busy week for First Minister Humza Yousaf
As we've mentioned, the Scottish government will announce the scrapping of a key climate change target this afternoon.
Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan is expected to confirm that the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 has been dropped.
Despite there being a question on net zero targets during FMQs, it is unliikely Humza Yousaf will pre-empt his net zero secretary by disclosing the full details.
Meanwhile, it has emerged this morning that Scotland's only gender identity clinic for under-18s has paused prescribing puberty blockers to children.
Elsewhere, senior doctors are accusing the Scottish government of not being honest about the level of consultant vacancies currently in the NHS in Scotland.
Last night, MSPs voted to increase the minimum price at which alcohol can be sold by 30%.
The Criminal Justice Committee heard from one of the first known victims of murderer and serial rapist Iain Packer, who has claimed an "old-boy network" is preventing complaints about police conduct being properly investigated.
And finally the controversy over Scotland's new hate crime law refuses to go away, with the first minister saying transgender women will be protected under any new misogyny laws.
Image source, Jane Barlow/PA WireFirst Minister Humza Yousaf and Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Mairi McAllan
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of this week's First Minister's Questions and the Scottish government's climate change target statement.
FMQs kicks off at 12:00 as usual and the climate change statement is due to begin at 14:25.
We will bring you coverage and analysis throughout, and you can watch both by clicking on the "play" icon at the top of this page.
During FMQs, Humza Yousaf will be grilled by opposition party leaders Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar, before backbench MSPs get involved, including a question on net zero targets.
However, Net Zero and Energy Secretary Mairi McAllan is expected to confirm during the later statement that the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 has been dropped.