Climate Change (Scotland) Bill

# Climate Change (Scotland) Bill Scotland's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been enshrined in law through this landmark legislation, which establishes a comprehensive framework for tackling climate change. The bill addresses the urgent need for Scotland to transition away from carbon-intensive activities across all sectors of the economy—including energy, transport, agriculture, and buildings—whilst meeting its international obligations under the Paris Agreement and EU climate commitments. By creating binding statutory targets and accountability mechanisms, the legislation recognises that addressing climate change requires sustained, long-term action coordinated across government, business, and society. The bill introduces a system of rolling five-year emissions reduction targets, with the first target set at 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, rising to 80 per cent by 2050. It establishes the Scottish Climate Change Committee as an independent advisory body to assess progress and recommend policies, whilst placing duties on public bodies and private organisations to report on their climate impacts. The legislation also creates pathways for Scottish ministers to implement climate policies across key sectors and mandates regular reporting to the Scottish Parliament on progress towards targets. This framework has proven influential, with subsequent versions of the bill raising ambition levels—most notably through later amendments establishing a 2045 net-zero target and interim objectives of 75 per cent emissions reductions by 2030, reflecting growing scientific consensus on the urgency of climate action.

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