Scotland's attempts to reduce its greenhouse
gas emissions have made good progress, it has been claimed.
In its first report on the initiative, the Committee on Climate Change (CC) noted the nation has made many achievements in this area since 2009, in feedback that was requested by ministers in the country's government in the Climate Change Act.
Uptake of
renewable energy technology has been strong, with new capacity being installed to the
electricity grid at fast enough rates for Scotland to achieve its targets, the organisation stated.
Furthermore, upgrading the efficiency of buildings has made some progress, as has attempts to improve the sustainability of vehicles and the agricultural sector.
Public transport initiatives have also been piloted, which similarly add towards the country's achievements, while renewable heat targets have been surpassed, the CCC stated.
A regulatory framework for Carbon Capture and Storage has been set up and projects relating to this technology are progressing, the organisation continued.
Ministers have set legally-binding targets to cut pollution by 42 per cent by 2020.
During 2009, there was a seven per cent drop in emissions, but during 2010 there is likely to have been a growth, as economic activity began to recover and cold temperatures would have promoted the use of central heating.
The CCC argued new policies will have to be enacted in order for Scotland to sustain its progress, while framework should be established to ensure residents of the country can benefit from policies such as the Green Deal, the Electricity Market Reform and the Renewable Heat Incentive.
"Good progress has been made by the Scottish government in reducing emissions across the economy," chief executive of the organisation David Kennedy remarked.
Responding to this report, minister for environment and climate change Stewart Stevenson MSP called it a "welcome contribution to our understanding of what we need to do to achieve our climate change targets".
Posted by James McDonald
