Scotland has missed its target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, with a bounce back in transport use following the pandemic contributing to a rise in 2021 – the year Glasgow hosted global climate change summit COP26.

Although emissions at the end of 2021 were 49.2 per cent lower than they were in 1990 – the year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its First Assessment Report – that fell short of the legally binding target of 51.1 per cent set down in the 2019  Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act.

Official statistics published by the Scottish Government showed that 41.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted from a basket of seven greenhouse gases in 2021, up from 40.6 the previous year – a rise of 2.4 per cent.

The report said that the main contributor to the year-on-year increase was domestic travel “following the impact of the Covid lockdown in 2020”.

The energy, business, and international aviation and shipping sectors all saw emissions decrease.

The Scottish Government has set itself bold climate change targets, pledging to become a net zero emitting nation by 2045 – five years ahead of the date set by the UK Government.

To get there, it has set itself interim targets of seeing emissions reduce by 75 per cent on 1990 levels by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2040.

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