The Scottish Government has proposed to increase its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target to 90% below 1990 levels by 2050, the climate change secretary Roseanna Cunningham has announced.
The current Climate Change Bill has an 80% reduction target for 2050, but Scotland will now hold a public consultation as to whether the target should be raised, to signify that the country is “resolutely committed” to combatting climate change.
“Scotland has long punched above its weight on this issue,” Cunningham said. “Moving towards new targets in our proposed Climate Change Bill will strengthen our position at the forefront of the global transition to a low carbon economy.
“As a country which has an international reputation as a climate change leader there is now a huge opportunity to reap the economic and social benefits of our efforts and for us to become a more sustainable economy. We are determined to seize this opportunity, and fulfil our moral obligations to future generations.”
Measures to reach the new target include reopening a specialised climate change fund for applications in the next two years and establishing an advisory panel to help finalise the plan before publication in early 2018.
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