Scotland’s target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions will be set at 2045, despite the presence of Extinction Rebellion protesters at Holyrood who want the target to be dramatically brought forward to 2025. MSPs voted for the date recommended by the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) as they met yesterday to rule on 151 amendments to the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Bill. A bid by Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell to shift the date to 2042 also failed, as did an attempt by Scottish Labour’s Claudia Beamish to set an interim target of reducing emissions by 66 per cent by 2030. Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham told MSPs the 2045 date was recommended by the expert CCC group and would see Scotland reach net zero emissions five years earlier than the rest of the UK.
Scotsman 19th June 2019 read more »
