Scotland should aim to halve emissions by 2025, says independent committee

Scotland should aim to halve its CO₂ emissions by 2025, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has advised the region’s government.

The target should push an annual emission reduction of 3-5%, producing a 51% cut in emissions by 2025 and a 60% cut on 1990 levels by 2030.

The advice comes in a letter from Committee chair Lord Adair Turner in response to a request from the Scottish Government on the appropriate level of its emission targets for 2023-2027.

The letter sets out in detail how emission reduction targets should be increased annually, starting with 3% in 2023, 3.7% in 2024, 4.7% in 2026 and 5.1% in 2027.

Deep cuts to emissions from the residential, non-residential, transport and power sector will be required to reach the targets, rather than the purchasing of emission credits, says the CCC.

The Committee does allow the Scottish Government to keep open the option of purchasing credits to reach its 2013-2017 targets, as it says some targets will be very difficult to reach through domestic abatement measures unless the EU increases its ambition.

The Scottish Government is now considering the CCC’s recommendations.

For further information:
www.theccc.org.uk/
hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/CCC%20letter%20to%20Stewart%20Stevenson%20-%20targets%20and%20credit%20advice%201%20July%202011.pdf
www.theccc.org.uk/topics/uk-and-regions/scotland
www.scotland.gov.uk/

07 July 2011

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