The Scottish government is to drop its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030.
The final goal of reaching “net-zero” by 2045 will remain, according to a BBC Scotland News report, which also stated that it understands that the government’s annual climate targets could also be ditched.
Ministers have missed eight of the last 12 annual targets and have been told that reaching the 75% milestone by the end of the decade is unachievable.
A statement is expected at Holyrood this afternoon, said the BBC report.
Independent government advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned back in 2022 that Scotland had “lost its lead over the rest of the UK in tackling the issue”.
Ministers are legally required to produce a “climate change plan” which details how the targets will be achieved.
That plan is now long delayed and the CCC confirmed in March that the flagship 2030 target was now beyond reach.
Scotland’s emissions reduction target for 2030 was tougher than for the UK as a whole, which was for a reduction of 68% by the same date.
Quoted in the BBC news report, Scottish Greens climate spokesman Mark Ruskell said the party was “absolutely determined to accelerate the urgent and substantial action needed to tackle the climate crisis as laid out by the CCC recently, and fully expect the Scottish government to respond to that challenge”.