'Flawed' Scottish climate plan could miss emissions targets

Scotland's climate plan includes cutting car journey distance by a fifth by 2030

Scotland's climate plan is at risk of not delivering the emission reductions needed to meet targets, environmental campaigners have warned.

Friends of the Earth Scotland accused the Scottish government of "flawed thinking" and "unjustified optimism".

The updated plan, published in December, is meant to help cut carbon emissions to achieve net-zero by 2045.

It sets out what the Scottish government says are "bold actions" to help meet emissions reduction targets.

These include cutting car journey distance by a fifth by 2030, £180m in funding for carbon capture and hydrogen technologies and £120m towards zero-emission buses.

• Scots plans to hit net-zero emissions set out

• Enough renewables to meet 90% electricity demand

But Friends of the Earth Scotland climate campaigner Jess Cowell said it was "increasingly difficult to scrutinise whether the policies are on track to hit targets".

She said: "We know the level of action we need to see by 2030, but we have no clear idea of whether the policies suggested in this document will add up to meet that target.

"The government either doesn't know or won't say how much climate pollution will be stopped by their individual policies, instead offering vague estimates for entire sectors.

"The update simply doesn't add up and it's hard to see how MSPs can properly assess it against its targets."

'Immensely challenging'

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham is due to face questions from MSPs on the plan when Holyrood's Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee meets on Tuesday.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman insisted that the plan sets out a "credible path to meeting Scotland's targets".

She said: "In Scotland, we are proud to have the most ambitious legal framework for emissions reduction in the world.

"Our updated climate change plan has over 100 new policies to meet Scotland's emissions targets over the period to 2032 and help achieve a just transition to net zero by 2045. This is supported by a record £1.9bn of capital funding in the Scottish Budget 2021-22.

"There is no doubt that these targets are immensely challenging and we are clear that delivering net zero will require action from Scottish society, businesses and the UK Government."