Action to mitigate climate change is a key component of the Scottish Government’s aim to create a growing, sustainable and inclusive economy. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 set world-leading greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, including a target to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050.
The Scottish Government now intends to introduce a new Climate Change Bill with even more ambitious targets. Proposals include setting targets based on actual emissions, and increasing the 2050 target to 90% emissions reduction.
This new Scottish target for 90% emissions reduction by 2050 is consistent with the recent advice from the UK Committee on Climate Change, which recommends the following targets:
- 56% emissions reduction by 2020
- 66% emissions reduction by 2030
- 56% emissions reduction by 2040
- 90% emissions reduction by 2050
The recent advice from the UK Committee on Climate Change also states ‘It is important that near-term targets drive the necessary actions to reduce emissions, and that the targets can be met through taking these ambitious but feasible actions. The value of the targets is that they should be challenging but achievable with substantial policy effort, ensuring planning certainty for businesses, consumers, and the public sector.’ Letter of Advice from UK Committee on Climate Change: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0053/00530182.pdf
To achieve these ambitious targets will require concerted effort, particularly for the decarbonisation of heat, transport and industry. These are all areas where hydrogen and fuel cells will play a critical role in meeting these new proposed decarbonisation targets for Scotland.