Climate change strategy 'risks setting back net zero target'

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin warned MSPs that Holyrood can "no longer sit on its hands" when it comes to tackling the climate crisis.

She said the plan which contained "over 150 actions" would be "key to achieving Scotland's net zero goal".

But critics warned the plan lacked detailed costing, while warning plans to move away from gas boilers for heating in homes had "no delivery mechanism".

Scottish Greens MSP Patrick Harvie branded the plan a "damp squib", adding: “Our expectations were low, and this still falls short."

Speaking during a Holyrood debate, he said: "Scotland is years behind where we should be on climate but instead of accelerating action when they ended the Bute House Agreement, the SNP decided to slow down and today’s draft plan contains no change.

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“They have rejected the clear advice of the Climate Change Committee on agriculture, they’ve scrapped the road reduction targets and replaced them with nothing.

“They give no clarity at all on replacing new fossil fuel extraction and they filleted the Heat in Buildings Bill, now proposing a target with no delivery mechanism. That is something that has been tried and failed many times before on many different issues.

“How on earth can the Cabinet Secretary think that slowing down action will let the country catch up on lost ground?”

The Climate Change Committee had recommended a reduction in livestock numbers by 28% by 2035 - a move now rejected by ministers.

Ms Martin told MSPs following the advice would only mean an increase in imports and would "effectively destroy" the farming industry.

The plan also recommits to phasing out new diesel and petrol cars by 2030.

The plan has been produced after the Scottish Government was forced to scrap its target of cutting emissions by 75% by 2030.

Holyrood ministers also came under fire for missing nine out of 13 annual climate targets – with the Government now having moved away from yearly targets to a system of five-year carbon budgets instead.

Ms Martin insisted ministers’ commitment to reaching net zero by 2045 was “unwavering” – but she also stressed action was needed from the UK Government.

Implementing the policies would cost £4.8 billion over the period 2026 to 2040, it said, but added this would bring benefits of £42.3 billion over the same period.

Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said the plans amounted to "little more than a sketch".

He added: "To succeed, this Plan must be backed by major new public funding, delivered fairly with the biggest polluters and the better off footing the bill.

"It’s time ministers were straight about where the pounds behind their promises to stop pumping out pollution will come from: Ministers need to show us the money.” 

Scottish Tory environment spokesman Douglas Lumsden said said the policy offered "no clarity" on reaching the 2045 targets as he accused ministers of "rehashing" policies.

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He said: “The SNP have been promising for months that the draft climate change plan would lay out definitively how they intend to reach net zero by 2045.

“Yet, today’s plan just rehashes SNP policies which do nothing to bring down energy bills and provides no clarity on how they plan to reach 2045 targets.

“Families across Scotland are anxious about how much the SNP’s net zero obsession will cost them. Will they be made to rip out their gas boilers in favour of heat pumps? Will they be forced to trade in their petrol vehicles for an electric can and will the SNP lift their presumption against new oil and gas?

“This plan answers none of those questions and is instead yet another SNP pamphlet which is heavy on suggestions but light on solutions.”

Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour's net zero spokeswoman, said the plan did not include details of how councils will implement the heat pump plans.

The Climate Action Secretary urged the UK Government to reduce the price of electricity as she hit back at critics, adding it could help encourage people to switch away from gas heating.

Unveiling the plan to MSPs at Holyrood, Ms Martin said Scotland was “increasingly feeling the real-life impacts of climate change domestically”.

She added: “The growing frequency of storms, heatwaves and flooding events is impacting our health, our livelihoods and the resilience of our communities.”

As a result, Ms Martin said, the “Parliament can no longer sit on its hands”.

While she accused some parties at Holyrood of “opposing even modest proposals for the sake of opposition”, she said now there was a need to “back these aims with action and take responsibility”.