Climate Change: Scotland’s 2030 target unreachable say experts

Chris Stark, chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, said ministers had just not done the job of putting the policies in place.

He said: “This is the first time, anywhere in the UK, that we’ve said there’s a target that can’t be met.

“It’s a shame we have to give that message to the Scottish government but what’s behind it is a lack of progress all round.”

Scotland’s emissions reduction target for 2030 is tougher than for the UK as a whole.

The Scottish Parliament legislated to cut greenhouse gases by 75% compared with the UK’s target of 68% by the same date.

Friends of the Earth Scotland said “the chickens have come home to roost” since ministers had failed to introduce policies to tackle clime change.

Oxfam Scotland described it as a betrayal to both future generations and communities in poorer countries already facing the “catastrophic consequences of climate change”.

Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan responded: “The Climate Change Committee have always been clear that meeting the legislated 2030 target – agreed by Parliament on a cross party basis – will be extremely challenging, and may not be feasible.

“We remain fully committed to meeting our target of net zero emissions by 2045.”