The UK’s climate watchdog has issued a warning that Scotland must take “immediate action at pace and scale” to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions following the abandonment of various policy pledges by the government. The Climate Change Committee (CCC), an official advisory body, emphasizes the urgency for ministers in Edinburgh to address emissions from buildings and transportation to achieve a goal of nearly zero emissions by 2045. The committee’s annual report highlights that the Scottish government’s initial target of a 75% emissions cut by 2030 may be delayed by up to six years due to repeated failures to meet annual targets.
This criticism comes in the wake of the Scottish National Party (SNP)-led government being forced to abandon its emissions pledge following further criticism from the CCC regarding its insufficient progress. The government has since decided to replace legally binding annual targets with more flexible five-year carbon budgets, a decision influenced by the new recommendations from the CCC.
The report outlines specific actions that the government has failed to implement, including abandoning targets to reduce car miles driven by 20% by 2030, removing commitments to rapidly decarbonize homes by installing low-carbon heating systems, cutting funding for tree planting initiatives, missing objectives for restoring degraded peatland, and failing to address the need for reduced meat and dairy consumption or to impose heavier taxes on air travel.
In response to the CCC’s recommendations, the government has committed to adopt a new approach to carbon budgets. The committee suggests that by 2030, Scotland should have decreased its emissions by 57%, followed by a 69% reduction by 2035, an 80% reduction by 2040, and a 94% reduction by 2045, with residual emissions to be offset through natural and technological measures.
Gillian Martin, Scotland’s acting net zero secretary, acknowledged that the CCC’s advice would be essential in drafting a new climate plan. However, opposition parties and climate policy groups also responded, highlighting the gap between the government’s commitments and its actions. They advocate for the creation of new ambitious climate “missions” to set overarching policies in high-impact sectors such as building heat, transportation, and land use, mandating decisive action.
The CCC specifically recommends the rapid deployment of heat pumps and district heating, widespread insulation of homes, low-carbon transportation options, comprehensive planning reforms to accelerate renewables, and increased funding for sustainable farming practices. Scottish Green party co-leader Patrick Harvie underscored the necessity of serious effort to avoid catastrophic climate damage.
While the CCC believes Scotland’s 2045 net-zero target is achievable, the government’s internal projections suggest a shortfall of 20 million tonnes of CO2, dependent on substantial policy interventions. The committee advised against the construction of new gas-fired power stations without carbon capture technology, a stance not aligned with Scottish Labour’s push for new nuclear power stations in Scotland.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/21/watchdog-urges-scotland-to-take-action-after-repeatedly-missing-climate-targets
