THE SNP Scottish government’s moves to formally dump key climate targets were branded a “shameful moment” by environmental campaigners today.
In 2019, Scotland introduced what then first minister Nicola Sturgeon called the “most stretching targets in the world” to tackle climate change, committing to cutting emissions by 75 per cent by 2030.
But in April, just weeks after the independent climate change committee branded that target “out of reach,” net zero secretary Mairi McAllan announced they would be dropped.
The SNP Scottish government began what she branded “the humiliating process of scrapping its critical climate commitments” in legislation today.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s (FoE) Imogen Dow said: “Fifteen years of insufficient action from Scottish ministers has brought us to this shameful moment which breaks a promise to the Scottish public and to people on the front line of climate breakdown.
“This abdication of responsibility comes despite the ever-worsening evidence of extreme weather and climate breakdown that is endangering lives on every continent.
“Scotland is a nation which has become wealthy from fossil fuels and that has both the resources and capability to go further and faster than other countries in cutting climate pollution.
“Political time and energy is being wasted on changing the law instead of implementing the transformative changes so desperately needed.
“The record of cuts and backsliding on climate action we’ve witnessed in recent months under [First Minister] John Swinney and [Deputy First Minister] Kate Forbes show that this government is not interested in getting its climate action back on track.”
Action to formally dump the target comes just weeks after the SNP Scottish government abandoned its pilot scrapping peak fares on ScotRail, a move STUC assistant general secretary Dave Moxham warned “fundamentally weakens any ambitions they have on climate.”
SNP acting net zero secretary Gillian Martin told MSPs the government must “have the courage to accept that although our ambition was laudable, these targets are unrealistic.”
Adamant that the net zero by 2045 target remained in place, she added: “This government is also clear that we must reach a just and fair net zero, and that doing so involves taking a different path.”
Responding, Scottish Labour’s Sarah Boyak slammed the SNP’s failure “to do the heavy lifting in policy and implementation.”
She added: “Our Parliament’s targets were ambitious, they were celebrated for being bold, but the actions of the Scottish government have not matched that ambition.”
