Draft Climate Change Plan published

Scotland’s pathway towards net zero mapped out.

Communities will benefit from cleaner air, warmer homes and new job opportunities under draft plans to cut emissions published today.

The draft Climate Change Plan to 2040 sets out actions designed to reduce Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions and meet our first three carbon budgets, whilst supporting jobs, growth and community regeneration.

Scotland is already over half way to net zero having reduced emissions by 51.3% since 1990 – the largest reduction in the UK and faster than the EU average, using comparable statistics.

The new plan details over 150 policies and proposals building on this progress, including:

setting a target to decarbonise building heat systems by 2045
phasing out new diesel and petrol cars by 2030
increasing woodland creation so that by 2029/30 18,000 hectares are planted every year, with 21% woodland cover in Scotland by 2032
increasing peatland restoration by 10% each year to 2030

The independent Climate Change Committee has emphasised the necessity for shared delivery and collaboration between national governments given between 30-60% of the emissions reduction required in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be in areas of policy that are mostly reserved.

A consultation on the proposals will run until the new year.

Raising awareness of climate action has never been so important, with communities across Scotland and around the world already being affected – through flooding, heatwaves and wildfires.

This draft plan includes over 150 actions across sectors such as transport, heat in buildings and agriculture that are key to achieving Scotland’s net zero goal while supporting people to make and adjust to the changes required.

It also describes how we will seize and fairly distribute the opportunities from the transition to net zero – from new jobs, inclusive growth and better infrastructure to improved public services and healthier people – thanks to cleaner air, warmer homes and wealthier communities.

The plan does not ask the impossible of people. We will not sacrifice people’s health or wealth.

Through this consultation, everyone has a voice in shaping the final plan to inform future decision making and ensure that we reach our net zero in a way that is fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency before us.

– CLIMATE ACTION SECRETARY GILLIAN MARTIN