"Climate change is one of the most serious threats we face. Urgent action is needed to cut emissions which cause climate change. The Scottish Climate Change Bill will introduce a target to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, and a statutory framework to support delivery."
Alex Salmond, First Minister September 2008
The Scottish Government's clear focus is to increase sustainable economic growth and to raise economic performance, while at the same time reducing our impact on the planet.
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 introduces ambitious, world-leading legislation to reduce emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050, and will drive new thinking, new solutions and new technologies putting Scotland at the forefront of building a sustainable low carbon economy. The First Minister wrote to the Secretary General of the United Nations in September 2009, outlining Scotland's action and offering support for a strong UN agreement on climate change.
Scotland's commitments on climate change action are set out in the Government Economic Strategy and National Performance Framework.
Targets include:
The Scottish Government also recognises the importance of preparing for a new climate.
Climate change touches on every aspect of the Government's work, and the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill creates the long-term statutory framework for climate change policies in Scotland. Action is already being taken across many policy areas including energy, transport, business, agriculture and environment.
To help meet the ambitious targets set out in the Climate Change Bill, new policies and delivery mechanisms will be needed. The Climate Change Delivery Plan identifies the high level measures necessary to meet Scotland's emissions reduction targets.
Work is also being undertaken to develop a system of carbon assessment - to ensure that spending decisions across government assess the carbon impact of policy options.
A key component of Scotland's action is the reduction of emissions from large business and public sector organisations including local authorities, retailers and central government. While emissions trading is a devolved matter, the Scottish Government supports a single approach operating across the UK.
The latest Annual Report on Scotland's progress was laid before the Scottish Parliament in June 2009. While the Scottish Government is committed to a wide programme of activity, climate change is not an issue any government can address alone. The Scottish Government is working with others and is confident that government, business and all the people of Scotland are ready to rise to the challenge of climate change.
Trends highlighted in the Scottish Government's Environmental Annual Report indicate that emissions from its operations have been rising over previous years. To address this, the Scottish Government produced a Carbon Management Plan to lead by example in reducing emissions. This aims to cut emissions relating to energy use in buildings by 12.6 per cent by 2011, increasing to 30 per cent by 2020. The Scottish Government Travel Plan aims to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in travel related emissions by March 2011, and a 40 per cent reduction by March 2020.
Officials from the Climate Change Division held a series of seminars for stakeholder groups in July and August 2009.