Other nations challenged to ‘step up’ on climate change

Other countries in the world must “step up” to match Scotland’s efforts in tackling climate change after it met emissions targets for the third year in a row, the Environment Secretary has said.

Roseanna Cunningham issued the challenge after a new report confirmed emissions in Scotland in 2016 fell to 41,481,022 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) – below the target for that year of 44,933,000 tCO2e.

That contributed to a 49% drop in emissions between 1990 and 2016, the report found.

Ms Cunningham told MSPs at Holyrood Scotland was making “excellent progress in tackling emissions”.

She stated: “Scotland’s annual emissions reduction target for 2016 was met, meaning we have reached our target for the third year in a row.

“Most importantly Scotland’s actual emissions are now down by almost half in the long term, a 49% reduction since the 1990 baseline, so we continue to out perform the UK as well as Western European countries. In fact only Sweden has done better.”

While under the current law Scotland is committed to reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, the Scottish Government has already pledged to increase that target to 90% – with legislation having been brought forward to achieve this.

Environmental campaigners however have criticised the Government for not going far enough, pressing for a 100% reduction in emissions – known as a “net zero” – to be the new target.

Ms Cunningham said ministers wanted to achieve this “as soon as possible” but stressed the target should only be set when it was credible to do so.

She insisted: “Credibility is vital, without it there is a risk of committing future governments to actions that are in any practical sense unachievable.

“However the Scottish Government does want to achieve net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases as soon as possible.

“It is our intention to get there, and we will set a a target date for this as soon as it can be done credibly and responsibly.”

But she added that “certainly other countries around the world do need to step up and match Scotland’s ambition and action” if the landmark Paris Agreement on tackling climate change is to be achieved.

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