LEGISLATION that will see Scotland take a fresh approach to emissions targets has been passed at Holyrood.

The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill was passed by 105 votes to zero with seven abstentions at Holyrood from the Scottish Greens. 

It amends the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to introduce limits on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in Scotland over a five-year period.

The legislation was brought in after ministers were forced to abandon their key target of reducing greenhouse emissions by 75% by 2030. 

During the debate on the bill today, the Minister for Climate Action Gillian Martin said it was a source of “great regret” the Scottish Government has not been able to meet this target. 

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As part of the fresh legislation, Scottish Ministers will need to set carbon budgets so that every year between 2026 and the net-zero emissions target year of 2045 is covered by a budget.

Each carbon budget will cover a period of five years and will set out the amount of greenhouse gas emissions allowed during that period.

The Scottish Government says the move aims to provide a more reliable framework for emissions reduction because the previous annual emissions targets are “vulnerable to year-to-year fluctuations” caused by events such as a particularly cold winter or a global pandemic.

The bill also changes the current deadline to finalise the next Climate Change Plan for Scotland so the plan can align with the process for setting the new carbon budgets.

But backing his party abstaining from the vote, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the parliament “should be embarrassed” by the need for the bill which he described as an “admission of failure”. 

“That failure is largely a result of political choices that have been made,” he said.

(Image: Jane Barlow) “The problem isn’t what’s in the bill, the problem is what’s missing from the bill and that’s urgent climate action.” 

After the bill was passed, Imogen Dow, the head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “The climate humiliation for the Scottish Government is complete.”

Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Gillian Martin said: “Scotland is now halfway to net zero and continues to be ahead of the UK as a whole in delivering long term emissions reductions.

“The Scottish Government’s commitment to ending Scotland’s contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest, as agreed by Parliament on a cross-party basis, is unwavering. It is crucial that our target pathway to 2045 is set at a pace and scale that is feasible and reflects the latest independent expert advice. 

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“Carbon budgets are an established model for assessment of emissions reductions used by other nations including Japan, France, England and Wales, and they will include emissions from international aviation and shipping and there will be no provision to “carry over” emissions from one carbon budget to another.

“We will continue leading on climate action that is fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency before us and reflects our commitment to the ambition of credible emissions reduction.”