A new report has claimed that Scotland’s 2030 climate goals – some of the most ambitious in the world – are no longer credible.

The Scottish Parliament’s climate change plans are more demanding than the rest of the UK, committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030. With this benchmark, the nation aims to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

Now, continued delays to the updated climate change plan and further slippage in promised policies mean that the Climate Change Committee (CCC), an independent body formulated to help guide the UK’s climate policy, no longer believes the Scottish Government will meet its goals.

“There is no comprehensive strategy for Scotland to decarbonise towards Net Zero,” a statement from CCC read.

The Scottish Government delayed its draft Climate Change Plan last year despite the looming 2030 target, now only six years away.

The CCC says this slip up has left a significant period without sufficient actions or policies to reach the target; the required acceleration in emissions reduction in Scotland is now beyond what is credible.

“Scotland has laudable ambitions to decarbonise, but it isn’t enough to set a target; the Government must act. There are risks in all reviewed areas, including those with significant policy powers devolved to the Scottish Government,” Professor Piers Forster, interim Chair of the CCC said.

“Scotland’s Climate Change Plan needs to be published urgently, so we can assess it. We need to see actions that will deliver on its future targets.”

Scotland missed its annual target for 2021, marking the eight time in the past 12 years the nation has missed a climate target.

The only sectors to reduce emissions in 2021 were electricity supply and industry. However, most key indicators of delivery progress, such as tree planting, peatland restoration rates, and heat pump installations are currently off track.

The CCC says there is hope despite these missed targets, but is urging the Scottish Government to take stronger action. Key industries needing to lesson their carbon emissions include the transport and buildings sector.

The 2020 CCPu requires emissions from heating buildings to decrease by 71% by 2030, meaning the annual emissions reduction rate must increase by almost a factor of ten. While there are some bold proposals, these must be delivered in practice or the 2030 goals will not be met.

For transport, the current plan required emissions to decrease by 44% by 2030, meaning that the annual emissions reduction rate must increase by nearly a factor of four.

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While Scotland has an ambitious target for car reduction, its strategy for this is lacking.

Aside from these, agriculture and land use must also decrease by 11% by 2030, meaning a reversal of recent emissions increases is required. Scotland also needs to double its woodland creation rate, and triple its peatland restoration rate.

Further, Scotland’s Acorn carbon capture cluster programme needs its deployment potential reassessed to see if it is capable of meeting the Government’s goals.

“This is a crucial time for Net Zero in Scotland,” the CCC warned.

“The handling of plans to close the Grangemouth refinery underlines the risk of omitting meaningful dialogue between communities, industry and government and the important role for the Scottish Government in ensuring a just transition towards Net Zero.”

The Grangemouth refinery, located on the Firth of Forth, is one of the last six remaining oil refineries in Scotland, and is set to be closed in 2025.

“Further delay to the Scottish Government’s draft Climate Change Plan will prevent further progress on these strategic issues.”