GREENS DEMAND ACTION: CO2 TARGET FAILURES ADD UP TO 9.7M TONNES
Following this morning's publication by the Scottish Government of figures showing the failure, for the fourth year in a row, to meet Scotland's climate change targets, Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"The Scottish Government has had since 2009 to put in place policies to live up to our much-heralded climate change targets, and they have failed spectacularly. Since the Act was passed we have put nearly ten million tonnes more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than the targets allow - demonstrating a staggering lack of ambition by this government.
"Scotland has a clear opportunity to be a greener and fairer country, and there is a wide range of voices growing hoarse calling for a speedier transition to the low-carbon economy we know we can enjoy. We will look into the detail but meantime the minister must explain why these figures have been given the media well before her expected statement in parliament at 4.30 today."
-In 2013, Scottish emissions of the basket of seven greenhouse gases are estimated to be
53.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). The target is assessed using the adjusted emissions (49.725 MtCO2e) in 2013.
-The annual target for 2013, as published in the Climate Change (Annual Targets) (Scotland)
Order 2010, is 47.976 MtCO2e.
Cumulative emissions exceeding the targets:
2010 3.6 million tonnes
2011 5.6 million tonnes
2012 8.0 million tonnes
2013 9.7 million tonnes