Today the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has published advice to the Scottish Government on reaching its target of reaching net zero emissions by 2045. Responding on behalf of Scotland’s climate coalition, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, Mike Robinson said:
“We welcome this comprehensive advice from the government’s expert advisors, that clearly shows the net zero target is deliverable and sets out a detailed route plan of how to reach it. However, as the CCC states, getting to net zero by 2045 is only 20 years away, so this requires immediate action, at pace and scale: the Scottish Government must get on with delivering the policies needed to make Scotland greener, healthier and fairer.
“The CCC’s pathway shows we could now reach the original target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 6 years later, which shows the impact of the years of dithering, delay and disagreement.
“Precious time has also been taken up debating legislation changes rather than focusing on the delivery that’s so urgently needed. If Scotland is to play its fair part in limiting global temperature rises, it is action this decade that counts most – every fraction of a degree of warming brings increased danger to lives and livelihoods, and spiralling costs of dealing with the impacts.
“The advice rightly highlights the potential benefits of climate action to our health, jobs and economy, and tackling poverty. The forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill is a key opportunity to do this, which has huge potential to lower energy bills and make our homes warmer if those who need it most are properly supported to make the changes needed.
“There are several areas where we feel the government could and should be more ambitious, and where we feel there is a risk that too much emphasis will be placed on unproven techno-fixes instead of reducing demand for the most polluting activities. For example, focusing on making it easier for people to choose low carbon options, instead of relying on the emergence of new fuel types.
“Climate action is not optional – the Scottish Government must now heed the CCC’s advice, move on from discussing targets and whether we need to act to making it happen, and get Scotland’s climate journey back on track.”