Eastern European crime gangs are repeatedly forcing trafficked women into sexual exploitation and sham marriages, a BBC investigation found.

The programme, Humans for Sale, found one Slovakian girl who had been trafficked to Glasgow three times.

Many of the women were forced into sham marriages with men, mainly from Pakistan, who were seeking to apply for residency in the UK.

The women, who are EU citizens, are lured to the UK with false promises.

Read more here.

Here is Justice Secretary Michael Matheson's motion.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

The Scottish government will now lead a debate on human trafficking and exploitation.

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur welcomes the target being met for the second year in succession.

Mr McArthur asks the cabinet secretary to commit to electric vehicles.

Ms Cunningham says the government has to try and set stretching but realistic targets.

She says she would be happy to pressure the transport minister on electric vehicles if the targets were achievable.

Image source, bbc

Green MSP Mark Ruskell welcomes the meeting of the annual target for a second year.

Mr Ruskell says transport has overtaken energy as an emitter and asks how a net zero target can be met with the encouragement of air travel through the reduction of APD and the expansion of airports in Scotland..

Ms Cunningham says the government will commit to a net zero target only when the evidence is in.

On aviation tax, she says the government are operating on an evidence based presumption with the Committiee on Climate Change.

SNP MSP Angus MacDonald says it is imperative that there is cross-party support for climate change goals and asks if Ms Cunningham is concerned that the Tory's "new friends and allies", the DUP, described the Paris Agreement as a delusion.

Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham says she is sure that the Scottish Conservatives "secretly share" Mr MacDonald's concerns regarding comments on the Paris Agreement by the DUP.

Ms Cunningham says the overwhelming consensus by experts is that climate change is happening and that the Scottish government is committed to the agreement.

Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has announced new proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% by 2050.

A public consultation will shortly begin on a proposed Climate Change Bill to raise further the ambition of Scotland’s already world-leading emissions reduction targets.

Ms Cunningham announced details in the Scottish Parliament during a statement on the publication of 2015 statistics which show Scotland met its annual target for the second consecutive year.

Image source, bbc

The minister also set out measures the Scottish Government will take to support these climate change ambitions. These include:

• Establishing an expert advisory group to help with the finalisation of the draft Climate Change Plan before publication in early 2018
• Helping communities reduce carbon emissions in their areas by reopening the Climate Challenge Fund for 2018-19 applications. This commitment builds on the £86 million investment in more than 600 communities since 2008
• Investing in research to improve understanding of the benefits of blue carbon in Scotland which is the carbon captured in oceans and coastal ecosystems.

SNP MSP Graeme Dey says plans for four wind farms are being threatened by the RSPB and asks how important offshore wind is.

Ms Cunningham says offshore wind can play a pivotal role in climate change targets.

Image source, bbc

Ms Cunningham says she is being told the government is extending bus passes not restricting them.

The climate change secretary says there will be a vigorous decision around the low emissions zones.

She says bringing this forward will focus minds in the advantages in changing modes of travel.

Ms Cunningham says: "We will continue to invest record levels in active travel for the life of this parliament."

Labour MSP Claudia Beamish welcomes that the news that the government has met its targets but says transport emissions are worrying.

"Transport emissions have barely changed," she says.

Ms Beamish asks why the government is restricting bus passes and says more funding may be required.

Image source, bbc

The minister says there was a slighter harsher winter between 2014 and 2015.

Ms Cunningham says the draft Climate Change Plan sets out cutting transport emissions by a third by 2030.

She says good progress is being made on residential emissions.

Tory MSP Maurice Golden says he is please the government has met its target for 2015 but it wouldn't be right to paint a picture that emissions are down across the board.

Mr Golden says his party have measures that will decrease transport and housing emissions and it is clear that milder winters help the government to meet targets.

He asks if the minister will continue to take credit for the figures during harsher winters.

The minister says the government proposes to include provisions to allow a net-zero emission target to be set as soon as the evidence becomes available; to reset the level of the interim 2020 target to at least a 56% reduction from baseline levels; to set new interim targets for 2030 and 2040; and to set all targets on the basis of actual Scottish emissions.

Ms Cunningham says the government will launch a public consultation on the government's proposals in the coming weeks.

The climate change minister says the Scottish government has been working with the Committee on Climate Change to bring forward proposals for amore ambitious Climate Change Bill.

Ms Cunningham says : "I am pleased to announce that the Scottish government propose to increase the level of Scotland’s 2050 emissions reduction target to at least a 90% reduction from baseline levels."

Kevin Keane
BBC Scotland News

Environmental groups say Scotland's draft climate change plan is too much of a "technofix", with not enough focus on changing behaviour.

The 172-page document sets a road map for decarbonising Scotland.

The aim - although not new - is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds by 2032.

Among the policies are making half of Scotland's buses low-carbon, fully-decarbonising the electricity sector and making 80% of homes heated by low-carbon technologies.

Friends of the Earth Scotland says there's not enough to encourage behavioural change.

The Scottish government says it demonstrates a "new level of ambition" for Scotland.

Ms Cunningham says Scotland has yet again outperformed every other part of the UK over the period since 1990.

The minister goes on to say the government is establishing an advisory group which will contribute to cross-cutting issues across the Climate Change Plan and advise on external engagement and communications.

She says: "We want to take time to work with our stakeholders to ensure that the final plan maintains ambition in meeting challenging goals, sets us apart as an innovator and global leader on climate issues; and is supported and owned by the people of Scotland.

"For these reasons, we anticipate publishing the final plan in early 2018."

• Cutting greenhouse emissions by 66%
• A fully-decarbonised electricity sector
• 80% of domestic heat to come from low-carbon heat technologies
• Proportion of ultra-low emission new cars and vans registered in Scotland annually to hit 40%
• 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands restored
• Annual woodland creation target increased to at least 15,000 hectares per year

Image source, Thinkstock

In January, the Scottish government outlined a new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 66% by 2032.

Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham set out the government's draft climate change plan, external for the next 15 years at Holyrood.

She also targeted a fully-decarbonised electricity sector and 80% of domestic heat coming from low-carbon sources.

Opposition members welcomed the plans, but raised questions about budgets and specific issues like fracking.

However, the Scottish Greens said the plan showed ministers were "not listening to expert advice".

Reduction targets are measured against a baseline set of figures from 1990.

Read more here.

Scotland exceeds emissions targets - six years early