Scotland changes net zero measures

The Scottish Government has announced a new suite of climate action measures aimed at tackling climate change.

Measures include increasing the number of electric vehicle chargers and an integrated ticketing system which can be used across all public transport.

There will be a new carbon tax on large estates to incentivise peatland restoration and tree planting and renewable energy generation will be consulted on.

The commitment to reach net zero by 2045 remains, however annual and interim targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions have been scrapped, as the 2030 target is already out of reach.

Instead, there will be a new system measuring emissions every five years.

According to the Scottish Government, Scotland is already halfway to net zero and is decarbonising faster than the UK average. In 2022, 87.9% of electricity generation was from zero or low carbon sources, nearly 63% of new woodlands in the UK were created in Scotland in 2022 -23 and more than two million Scots are now eligible for free bus travel.

Net zero secretary Màiri McAllan said: “The race to net zero is one that we must all win and I want to begin by affirming this Government’s unwavering commitment to ending our contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest, as agreed by Parliament on a cross-party basis.

“I was grateful for the latest report from the Climate Change Committee on our progress in reducing emissions. The CCC are a key partner in our net zero journey and their insights are essential.

“Their report recognised much to be proud of, including this Government’s provision of free bus travel to all under 22s, our work delivering more woodland in Scotland in a year than any other UK nations combined and our work on decarbonising Heat in Buildings, noting that it could become a template for the rest of the UK."

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights Patrick Harvie, said: “The package of new climate measures announced today is absolutely critical, to ensure that Scotland gets back on track and can meet net zero, becoming one of the first countries in the world to end our contribution to climate change in a just and fair way.

“Only by working together across the political divide and with all levels of government, the public sector and the business community can we tackle the climate crisis with the pace and urgency required.

“We are making progress towards our goal of net zero by 2045 – as demonstrated by our recent consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill which the Climate Change Committee described as a potential template for the rest of the UK.

“We will now carry on working with stakeholders and communities to ensure progress is delivered fairly and in the right way, recognising the different needs of rural, island and urban areas.”