Jim Densham RSPB Senior Land Use Policy Officer, Climate
Last week the Scottish Government announced that Scotland had once again missed an annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target – as set out in Scotland’s Climate Act. scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/06/5527/0
If that wasn’t bad enough, the nations emissions actually went up in 2012 from 52.5m tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2011 to 52.9m tCO2e. Worse still, this is the third annual target in a row to have been missed and what’s more, all targets have been missed in the years since the Climate Change Act was introduced, ie in the years Scotland had control of setting its own climate policies.
Not good for a Government which prides itself on the world’s most ambitious climate change target in legislation – a 42% reduction in emission by 2020 (based on 1990 levels). Not good for a Government which prides itself on Climate Justice – helping people in developing countries to adapt to the impacts caused by us in developed nations.
Dear, oh dear, what a sorry mess. So what to do? Accuse Government of complacency and hubris, and give it a good old kicking in the form of overt criticism? Not this time.
With our partners in Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) we had been lobbying hard for Government to introduce a package of new measures if this third target was missed. SCCS developed five asks and now, Government has announced that it will introduce these new measures and provide £15m of new money http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Scotland-on-track-for-2020-climate-target-d63.aspx. The package covers energy efficiency in housing, green transport, district heating, a new cabinet sub-committee on climate change and fertiliser planning for farmers. In response SCCS focussed on Scotland ‘getting back on track’ and on the positive things Government has agreed to http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/news/scottish-climate-change-efforts-step-gear
So, it is disappointing to have missed yet another target but on the upside, it is excellent that this has prompted Government to do something about it and introduce the policies sought by SCCS. Now, everyone is aiming for fourth time lucky!