Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill

# Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill Scotland's climate ambitions required legislative updating to reflect the latest scientific evidence on the pace and scale of emissions reductions needed to prevent dangerous climate change. The previous statutory targets, established under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, set a 42% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and an 80% reduction by 2050. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued new guidance indicating that to limit global warming to 1.5°C, countries must achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century and make substantial cuts in the 2030s. This bill was introduced to align Scotland's legal framework with this scientific consensus and establish more ambitious interim targets for the coming decades. The bill replaces the previous fixed targets with a series of increasingly stringent five-year emissions reduction targets, underpinned by an overall objective to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. It introduces mandatory reduction targets for 2030, 2040, and other intermediate points, requiring the Scottish Government to set and publish these targets and regularly review progress through a strengthened system of monitoring and reporting. The bill also extends the scope to cover all greenhouse gases and maintains the role of the independent Climate Change Committee in advising on target-setting and assessing progress, ensuring that Scotland's climate legislation remains responsive to evolving scientific understanding while holding the government accountable for delivering meaningful emissions reductions.

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