THE former president of Ireland has praised Scotland's approach to tackling climate change, claiming it has an "enviable record" which is benefiting the economy.

In a letter to The Herald today, Mary Robinson, now a prominent activist against global warming, says Scotland has "shown the way forward" by introducing legislation and targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"The Scottish Parliament passed a Climate Change Act in 2009 which gives legal character to the national commitment to combat climate change. That means that Scotland is numbered amongst the few countries in the world to adopt climate change legislation – the most meaningful signal of a nation's commitment to act," she wrote.

Ms Robinson, whose posts since retiring as Irish president in 1997 include the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights, is now president of the Mary Robinson Foundation, which she set up to promote global awareness of climate change and its impact on the world's poorest people.

Her praise will be seen as a major boost for the Scottish Government's climate change policies, which have received cross-party support.

Ms Robinson said Scotland had taken a human rights-based approach to the issue and implemented "impressive" initiatives to shift the economy from its dependence on fossil fuels to renewables.

It was not surprising that Al Gore, who became a leading climate change campaigner after losing out on the United States presidency to George Bush in 2000, had also highlighted Scotland's positive role, she said.