Campaigners demand more action from Scottish Government despite emissions fall

Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen, figures showed, although climate campaigners insisted that the “pace of change is too slow” to meet key environmental targets.

Official figures showed net emissions of seven greenhouse gases fell to 39.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2023 – with this total down by 1.9% (0.8 MtCO2e) from the previous year.

The data showed what was described as a “very large reduction” in emissions from the electricity generation sector of 0.8 MtCO2e in 2023, with a “large reduction in gas-fired electricity generation being principally responsible for this drop”.

But the Scottish Government report showed that emissions from the agriculture sector were “essentially unchanged” between 2022 and 2023.

The pace of change is too slow to meet our climate ambitions. Again, emissions from transport, buildings and agriculture remain largely unchanged and far too high

Meanwhile, there was an increase in emissions from aviation and shipping, with these rising by 0.3 MtCO2e in 2023 and “effectively returning to their pre-Covid levels”.

Emissions from the land use, land change and forestry sector also rose by 0.6 MtCO2e, with this said to be linked to “historical planting reaching maturity”.

Overall, the figures showed Scotland’s emissions have fallen by more than half (51.3%) between 1990 and 2023 – with all sectors apart from aviation and shipping reporting a decrease in this period.

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “These figures confirm that between 1990 and 2023, Scotland yet again leads the rest of the UK in cutting emission, led by significant decreases from electricity generation and industry.”

However, with Scotland having set the target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2045 – five years ahead of the UK – Claire Daly, head of policy and advocacy at WWF Scotland, said: “These reductions are simply not enough.”

She said: “The pace of change is too slow to meet our climate ambitions. Again, emissions from transport, buildings and agriculture remain largely unchanged and far too high.

“Every year of inaction makes the path to a safer, fairer future even harder to reach.”

Ms Daly also claimed that “emissions from our buildings are still too high” saying it was “frustrating” the Scottish Government had pushed back targets in the Heat in Buildings Bill for a move to greener forms of heating.

And she said it was “also disappointing to see emissions from agriculture remain alarmingly high”, citing this as being “further evidence that the Government lacks the ambition or leadership to support the sector to play its part in reaching net zero”.

With emissions from aviation and shipping rising, Oxfam called for a “fair tax” to be levied against the “super polluting private jets choking Scotland’s skies”.

Jamie Livingstone, head of the charity in Scotland, said overall “falling emissions are welcome, but in a race against time, we’re simply not moving fast enough due to a lack of investment in major polluting sectors”.

He added: “The Scottish Government can’t claim it is tackling the climate emergency while aviation emissions are heading skyward.

“Pollution from planes, can’t just be wished away – it’s time for action, starting with landing a fair tax on the super-polluting private jets choking Scottish skies. This would raise tens of millions to invest in green projects that benefit us all and send a clear message that the Scottish Government will no longer give the super-rich a licence to pollute.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s senior climate campaigner, Alex Lee, was also critical of ministers, saying: “Today is another grim reminder of ministers’ dreadful decision to scrap annual climate targets because they simply didn’t deliver the action needed over many years.”

The campaigner added: “John Swinney’s year as First Minister has been one of no progress to reduce climate pollution or deliver on a fair transition.

“His team have been allowed to pay lip service to climate action whilst key policies that could improve lives have vanished or been scrapped.”

Ms Martin, however, stressed the “positive actions” the Scottish Government has already taken towards reaching the target of net zero by 2045 – with these including extending free bus travel as well as “record levels” of tree planting and peatland restoration.

The acting Net Zero Secretary went on to say: “We are not complacent and recognise that our transition to a net-zero, climate-ready Scotland will require genuine transformation across our economy and society from transport and heat in buildings to land use.

“That’s why the Scottish Government has committed introducing a Heat in Buildings Bill this year, which will set a target for decarbonising heat by 2045; why we will abolish Scotrail peak rail fares in September; and why we have increased funding for low carbon and climate positive activities to £54.4 million, supporting a switch to zero emission vehicles and the decarbonisation of our buses.”

She also stressed the importance of action from Westminster, saying: “It is also vital that the UK Government, which holds key policy and funding levers to deliver Scotland’s net-zero future, acts on these at pace to deliver our climate targets and those for whole of the UK.”