Scottish Government publishes net zero roadmap

The Scottish Government has published its delayed climate change plan, setting out a path to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

Steps include phasing out new petrol and diesel cars by the end of this decade, increasing peatland restoration and woodland creation, and decarbonising home heating by 2045.

Climate secretary Gillian Martin said it set out a pathway that was “fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency before us”.

But opposition politicians and campaigners have criticised the government for not providing enough detail within the plan on how it will meet various targets.

The Scottish Parliament agreed to set an ambition to reduce carbon emissions in 2019. That legislation also put in place interim targets.

However, the government was forced to backtrack on its aim to reduce emissions by 75 per cent from 1990 baseline levels by 2030 after the Climate Change Committee warned that slow progress meant it was “no longer credible”.

Ministers have since moved to five-year carbon budgets, rather than annual ones, in line with the rest of the UK.

The government now aims to ensure emissions are slashed by 57 per cent from 1990 levels over the next five years, 69 per cent for 2031-35, 80 per cent for 2036-2040, and 94 per cent for 2041-2045. 

Making a statement to parliament, Martin said: “Tackling the climate emergency remains a priority for this government – and must continue to be so for this, and future parliaments.

“The draft climate change plan we’ve laid before parliament today sets out over 150 actions that we must take, between now and 2040, to grow our economy and reduce our carbon emissions. But as well as reducing emissions, this plan is also about how we unlock economic benefits, strengthen our communities, tackle poverty, restore nature, and improve health and wellbeing.”

A consultation on the plan will run until 29 January, and parliamentary committees will take evidence on their various policy areas, with the net zero committee taking the lead.

The draft plan had originally been scheduled to be published two years ago, but was delayed. Scottish ministers at the time blamed changes in UK Government policy.

The Scottish Government has said the final version of the plan will be laid before parliament ahead of dissolution for the election.

Scotland’s largest contributors to emissions are housing, transport and agriculture.

The draft plan includes proposals to move homes away from gas central heating by 2045, “so far as reasonably practicable”.

The Heat in Buildings Bill is expected to be published imminently. That legislation was delayed after concerns about the cost to homeowners. The climate plan says targeted funding will focus on poorer households, with the hope government funding will attract private investment and support the creation of private lending products.

On transport, it proposes legislation to encourage sales of electric vehicles, investment on HGV infrastructure, and support for sustainable aviation fuel.

On agriculture, there is a pledge to investigate alternative fuels for machinery and alternatives for fertilisers. It does not, as the Climate Change Committee suggested, include targets to reduce livestock numbers.

The Scottish Conservatives dubbed Martin’s statement “more hot air” from the government and accused ministers of not being transparent about costs.

Energy spokesperson Douglas Lumsden said: “Even after repeatedly delaying their climate change plan, they still refuse to come clean about the true cost of how they plan to reach their net zero target by 2045.”

Labour’s Sarah Boyack called for more detail on energy efficiency plans for homes and warned of a lack of support for local government in delivering the just transition.

The Scottish Greens said the plan did not go far enough. MSP Patrick Harvie said: “This is a long document that uses a lot of words to say very little. It is a missed opportunity and damp squib at a time when we need ambition and courage. Our expectations were low, and this still falls short. This government has opted for business as usual at a time when our planet is on fire.”

Oxfam also criticised the lack of detail, with head of the charity’s Scottish office Jamie Livingstone describing it as “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.”