Holyrood passes Climate Change Bill branded Scottish govt’s ‘admission of failure’

Climate change legislation which has been branded an “admission of failure” and a “humiliating climbdown” has been passed by Holyrood.

MSPs formally approved legislation which the Scottish Government was forced to bring in after it became clear the target of reducing emissions by 75% by 2030 was “out of reach”.

As that target had been enshrined in climate change legislation previously passed by Holyrood, ministers had to bring forward the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill .

It was passed in Holyrood by 105 votes to zero, with the seven Green MSPs abstaining.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said while previous climate change legisaltion passed by Holyrood had been “statements of bold ambition”, this Bill was “an admission of failure”.

He told MSPs: “I think we should be a bit embarrassed by the need for this Bill.”

Scottish Conservative net zero spokesperson Douglas Lumsden meanwhile claimed the Bill was a “humiliating climbdown” for SNP ministers, who used to “love to boast” about Scotland’s “world leading” climate legislation.

But he added: “The SNP are all talk and no action when it comes to climate change.

“They missed their own annual climate targets in nine out of the last 13 occasions and their sheer incompetence means they have now dumped them altogether.”

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.”

With the legislation also moving Scotland to a five-yearly cycle of carbon budgeting, instead of having year on year reductions targets, she added: “Removing annual climate targets is a deeply cynical attempt to move the goalposts after 15 years of climate failure by a succession of Scottish Government ministers.”

Ms Dow continued: “The record of cuts and backsliding on climate action we’ve witnessed in recent months under John Swinney and Kate Forbes show that this Government is not interested in getting its climate action back on track.

“Scotland’s climate targets were challenging but achievable. Ministers missed so many opportunities to deliver popular changes that would have improved public transport, cut fuel poverty by insulating homes and created decent green jobs.”

Claire Daly, of WWF Scotland, said while the legislation “makes the best of a bad situation”, there was “no time to delay” when tackling climate change.

She insisted: “The Scottish Government must focus on delivering the actions desperately needed to bring down emissions and help nature recover.”

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin meanwhile stressed the Scottish Government’s “unwavering” commitment to achieving net zero by 2045.

But she stated: “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.

“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.”