Scottish government misses another climate change target

The Scottish government has missed another of its key annual targets for reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

Figures for 2022 show that emissions fell by 50% from its 1990 baseline.

This is slightly down on the previous year’s figures but well short of its target of a 53.8% reduction.

It means ministers have now missed nine of the past 13 annual benchmarks for tackling climate change.

This is likely to be the last time progress will be measured against annual targets with the Scottish government confirming in April that it will scrap all but the 2045 net zero goal.

The latest figures show that domestic transport emissions have increased and are still the single largest source of greenhouse gases in Scotland.

A continued rebound from the pandemic is being blamed for the rise which now accounts for 28.3% of total emissions.