Government Misses Second CO2 Target: Greens Demand Debate
Scottish Greens are demaning an urgent debate in parliament following the failure to meet Scotland's legally-binding greenhouse gas reduction targets for the second year in a row.
Figures released today (7 June) show Scotland emitted almost a million tonnes of CO2 equivalent more than the target laid down in the Climate Change Act. This follows last year's figures which showed a similar failure.
The target for 2011 was 53.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents. Emissions were 54.2 million.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow and Co-convener of the Scottish Greens, said:
"This latest failure should be ringing alarm bells at the Scottish Government but instead ministers are showing breathtaking complacency. To claim we're on course to meet the target in 2020 is utter spin; the need to compensate for their failure will clearly make things harder.
"Last year the government buried the figures during the summer recess to avoid scrutiny. Their lucklustre report on proposals and policies to address emissions must be updated and brought before parliament before summer recess at the end of this month.
"This government has failed to invest in the transport, energy and housing policies that would make a real difference. Instead they're blowing billions on bigger roads and they're determed to prop up the fossil fuel industry. It's increasingly clear we won't deliver on our climate change commitments unless we put Green policies at the heart of Scotland's economic agenda."