Scotland’s Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has written to the UK Government expressing disappointment that it has not yet responded to advice from the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
In a letter to the Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Cunningham (pictured) reiterated her request for UK government action on reserved issues that are critical to Scotland achieving its aim to become net-zero by 2045, and for an urgent meeting with the minister.
The UK CCC stated that Scotland achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 is contingent on the UK doing the same by 2050.
In her letter Cunningham stated: “There is a global climate emergency. Scotland is acting accordingly, but the CCC has been clear that UK Government action on reserved issues is critical to Scotland achieving its net-zero aims.
“We therefore must agree how to work together on this issue, and an urgent meeting is vital.
“It is particularly disappointing that, at this crucial juncture, the UK Government has also chosen not yet to respond to the CCC’s advice or to express a position on the EU proposal to reach net zero by 2050.”
The letter sets out six key actions for the UK Government which are reserved policy areas and which impact directly on Scotland’s ability to reach net-zero by 2045.
They include accelerating deployment of operational carbon capture and storage facilities, accelerating action to decarbonise the gas grid, and consider the balance of taxes across different heating fuels to enable affordable low-carbon heating in Scottish homes and businesses, and to ensure continued support for the renewables industry.