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Scotland sets the bar for climate change legislation

The Scottish Government has passed some of the strictest climate change legislation in the world setting a target of a 42% reduction in emissions by 2020 and an 80% cut by the 2050.

The emissions covered by the Bill include those from the controversial sectors of international aviation and shipping. The UK Government will not decide on whether to include aviation and shipping in its climate change legislation until 2012.

“Scotland can be proud of this Bill, the most ambitious and comprehensive piece of climate change legislation anywhere in the world,” said Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevenson yesterday.

“[We] expect others to follow our lead as we look to the international summit in Copenhagen this December,” he added.

The Scottish Bill also sets significantly higher interim targets that the UK legislation, which requires a 34% cut in emissions from 1990 levels by 2022.

Last week the Scottish Government published details of how the targets can be achieved in a delivery plan.

“Achieving these targets will be challenging,” Stevenson said. “But I am confident that Government, business and the people of Scotland are ready to rise to the challenge.”

The Bill has been endorsed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who says it sends a message to the world that it must act now.

It has also been welcomed by environmental groups, including WWF Scotland.

“This new law sets a benchmark that every industrialised country will need to live up to,” says Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland. “If Scotland can show this level of ambition then so can plenty of others.”

For further information:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Home
scotland.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/about_wwf_scotland/

26 June 2009

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