Scotland’s climate change plan ‘will reduce emissions by 66% by 2032’

The Scottish government’s new Climate Change Plan sets out in detail how ministers intend to meet the country’s target of reducing carbon emissions by 66% by 2032. Scotland’s successful deployment of renewable energy schemes and the decarbonisation of the country’s electricity system will allow other areas of the economy to play their part in the fight against climate change, said Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham following publication of the plan.

Scotland is already on track to meet its 2020 target to reduce emissions by 42%, and the new Climate Change Plan sets out the Scottish government’s decarbonisation plans for the period leading up to 2032.

• By 2032, Scotland’s electricity sector, already largely decarbonised, will be important as a low carbon power source for heat and transport, with 50% of all of Scotland’s energy needs to be delivered by renewables by 2030.
  
  
• By 2032, transport emissions will have reduced by 37% and Scotland will have phased out the need to buy petrol and diesel cars or vans and introduced low emission zones.
  
  
• By 2032, emissions in Scotland’s buildings will have reduced by one-third.
  
  
• By 2032, woodland will cover 21% of Scotland – up from 18%.
  
  
• 70% of all waste will be recycled by 2025.

Ms Cunningham said: ‘We have carefully considered the helpful and constructive feedback we received from stakeholders and the UK Committee on Climate Change to ensure that our final plan, which is designed to reduce emissions by 66% by 2032, is both ambitious and realistic. It also delivers a range of wider benefits for Scotland. For example, improving energy efficiency will help combat fuel poverty as well as reducing emissions.’

She added: ‘Scotland has a particular responsibility to deal with climate change – it was a Scot, Greenock’s own James Watt, who ushered in the industrial revolution and the burning of fossil fuels on a massive scale, and it’s right that we demonstrate leadership on dealing with the causes and effects of climate change.’