The Scottish Government would need to spend an average of £1.1bn pounds a year to meet its net zero targets – around 18% of its capital budget.

That’s according to the Scottish Fiscal Commission, which analysed the implications for the Scottish public finances of meeting the statutory emissions target to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

It warns that unmitigated climate change would have “catastrophic impacts on individuals, businesses and the public finances”, so these costs are still cheaper than doing nothing.

The figure does not include the spending required on adaptation and damage from climate change, and it based on the balanced pathway scenario set out by the Climate Change Committee.

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