ARIANE BURGESS: Green voice is essential despite Scottish Government setback on 2030 net zero targets
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Holyrood Notebook by Ariane Burgess
Scotland has rightly earned global recognition for setting ambitious statutory climate targets – with the aim of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, one of the world's toughest legally binding goals.
However, our interim 2030 target of reducing emissions by 75% from baseline levels has hit a significant roadblock.
Earlier this year, the independent UK Climate Change Committee, UKCCC, issued a stark warning that, based on current policies, there is currently no “credible pathway” for the Scottish Government to meet the 75 per cent emissions reduction milestone. Missing this near-term target would not only undermine environmental credibility but also make the formidable 2045 net zero target even steeper to achieve.
In a move that has sparked significant debate, the Scottish Government has decided to shift focus away from the 2030 target and prioritise reaching net zero emissions by 2045.
While a pragmatic decision to streamline priorities, understandably, this bypassing of the interim goal is disappointing and concerning to climate activists across Scotland, including many members of my own Scottish Green Party.
Indeed, abandoning the 2030 target has led some Greens to publicly question whether our cooperation agreement underpinning the current government remains tenable. It is understandable that party members want an opportunity to fully discuss and debate whether the conditions justifying the cooperation agreement are still being met. I’m in discussions with members and look forward to the debate at our EGM.
It is crucial to recognise the very real progress on climate action that having the Scottish Greens in government has already delivered – tangible gains that simply would not have materialised without our constant pressure and policy influence.
In just two years of power sharing, highlights include transformational changes in transport, including the successful rollout of free travel for people under 22 and the pilot of scrapping peak fares on ScotRail. We have also seen the heat in buildings strategy that the UKCCC said could be a template for action across the rest of the UK.
In our new National Planning Framework, NPF4, climate and biodiversity are prioritised in all planning decisions. Active travel and nature networks are being developed across the country thanks to record funding. Recognising that we need landscape-scale action, Regional Land Use Partnerships will continue to be supported, and more partnerships established.
These concrete measures represent a dramatic acceleration of Scotland's climate efforts after years of policymaking inertia and would not be taking place without myself and my colleagues being able to contribute meaningfully to policy and funding decisions.
To truly build on this foundation, Scotland certainly needs Greens embedded in the policymaking process – continuing to drive rapid, economy-wide decarbonisation across every sector and slice of society. Having that climate perspective constantly at the decision-making table is the only way such transformative change can be developed and sustained year after year.
The path to 2045 net zero is achievable, but only if we treat it as the civilization-defining policy priority it truly is. From legislating a just transition to renewable heating, transportation, and green jobs to defending peatlands and rainforests, Scotland requires the climate leadership the Greens provide.
While the 2030 target setback understandably raises questions, the Greens' policy wins demonstrate the significant value of having ministerial influence. Even greater change can be unlocked by maintaining that political leverage, forcing the boldest proposals into reality as the net zero clock ticks down.
For our planet's sake, the Scottish Greens must remain at the heart of policymaking to drive the monumental climate action still required this decade. No other party can provide that level of consistent environmental focus needed to realise our emissions goals against intensifying political and economic headwinds.
There is simply too much at stake to lose that voice now. The opportunity to shape a sustainable future for Scotland is still ours to seize.
• Ariane Burgess is a Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
