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Scottish Government Targets 66% Emissions Cut By 2032 (bbc.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from BBC: The Scottish government has outlined a new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 66% by 2032. Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham set out the government's draft climate change plan for the next 15 years at Holyrood. She also targeted a fully-decarbonized electricity sector and 80% of domestic heat coming from low-carbon sources. Ministers committed last year to cut harmful CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050, with a new interim target of 50% by 2020. The previous interim target of 42% was met in 2014 -- six years early. However, the independent Committee on Climate Change said the decrease was largely down to a warmer than average winter reducing the demand for heating. Ms Cunningham said the new targets demonstrated "a new level of ambition" to build a low-carbon economy and a healthier Scotland. Goals to be achieved by 2032 include: Cutting greenhouse emissions by 66%; A fully-decarbonized electricity sector; 80% of domestic heat to come from low-carbon heat technologies; Proportion of ultra-low emission new cars and vans registered in Scotland annually to hit 40%; 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands restored; Annual woodland creation target increased to at least 15,000 hectares per year. The 172-page document sets a road map for decarbonizing Scotland. The aim -- although not new -- is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds by 2032. Among the policies are making half of Scotland's buses low-carbon, full-decarbonizing the electricity sector and making 80% of homes heated by low-carbon technologies.

2 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. No problem - they've done it before by dbIII · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Scotland's emissions dropped a massive amount a few decades ago back when Thatcher used the one-off North Sea oil windfall to finance a transition from a UK wide manufacturing economy to a Southern England financial services economy.
    Scotland and the UK in general had not recovered yet.
    So there are not a lot of emissions to cut which doesn't make it a very difficult job.

    1. Re:No problem - they've done it before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "Thatcher used the one-off North Sea oil windfall to finance a transition from a UK wide manufacturing economy to a Southern England financial services economy."

      The country is the 11th largest manufacturer in the world, apparently adding 220 billion to the economy:

      http://www.themanufacturer.com/uk-manufacturing-statistics/

      The financial sector contributes 126 billion, admittedly a good chunk of change but still behind manufacturing:

      researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06193/SN06193.pdf

      So the transition in absolute terms is a myth however having a balanced economy is good.