NICOLA Sturgeon’s programme for government has been hailed as “ambitious and progressive” by environmental groups.

The First Minister announced plans to introduce a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans, and “massively” expand electric car charging points.

She also revealed a target to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032, and the creation of low emissions zones in Scotland’s four largest cities by 2020.

Friends of the Earth Scotland described it as “the greenest programme for government in the history of the Scottish Parliament”.

Director Dr Richard Dixon said: “The Scottish Government has put improving and protecting the environment at the heart of their legislative and policy programme.

“Promises here will reduce climate change emissions, save people from air pollution and help Scotland become a leading example of a low carbon country.”

Willie Mackenzie of Greenpeace UK described the deposit scheme as “a massive step in stopping plastic pollution”.

“With businesses and an overwhelming majority of the public in favour of deposit schemes, the Scottish Government now has a mandate to implement as robust a system as possible to help reduce plastic pollution. Hopefully it won’t be too long before the rest of the UK follows suit,” he said.

Over the next year, the government will build on work already being carried out by Zero Waste Scotland ahead of the roll-out of the scheme across the country.

Under such schemes, customers pay a surcharge when purchasing bottles or cans which is refunded when they return them to a shop.

The question of whether the initiative should extend to small retailers will be addressed, the government said.

Gina Hanrahan of WWF Scotland welcomed plans to phase out new fossil fuel cars and vans by 2032, eight years before the rest of the UK, and to expand electric charging infrastructure between now and 2022 in both rural and urban areas.

She said: “The First Minister has set out an ambitious, progressive and green Programme for Government, which puts Scotland’s low carbon economy in the driving seat.

“De-carbonising our transport sector in fifteen years will create new jobs, cut emissions and clean up our polluted air.

“This announcement will help accelerate the shift to electric vehicles and sets us up to lead the technologies of the future.”

Transform Scotland director Colin Howden welcomed the commitment to double the active travel budget to £80 million from 2018/19, but criticised plans to cut air tax.

“With strong leadership at the local level, and a commitment to continuing this investment over the coming years, this will help to develop quality walking and cycling infrastructure in Scotland,” he said.

“Whilst the doubling of the active travel budget is obviously great news, it is a fraction of the £150m annual subsidy the Scottish Ministers intend to give to the most polluting form of transport by cutting air departure duty.”

Jenny Hogan of Scottish Renewables, said: “The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government recognises the economic, environmental and social value which renewable energy is already bringing to Scotland.

“The announcement of £60m to deliver cutting-edge low-carbon energy infrastructure like electricity battery storage and sustainable heating systems will build on the success of projects already announced under the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme and further enable our shift to a greener economy.