Net-zero carbon economy ‘will require difficult choices made’

Difficult choices will need to be made if Scotland is to become a net-zero carbon economy in the next three decades, a new report has warned.

The Infrastructure Commission for Scotland (ICS) has been looking ahead to the next 30 years to see what challenges will need to be addressed.

At the heart of this vision is a desire to have an “inclusive net-zero carbon economy” – but the commission said it did not “underestimate the nature and scale of the challenges” in achieving this.

The Scottish Government has already set the ambition of reaching net-zero emissions by 2045.

The ICS, in its initial report, said: “While the journey to this vision has already started, the urgency and pace of change will need to increase, and the scale of change required will affect almost every aspect of our daily lives.

“It is also becoming clear that the vision of an inclusive net-zero carbon economy will sometimes require difficult choices to be made and tradeoffs to be addressed.”

The ICS, which was established by the Scottish Government to provide independent advice to ministers and develop a 30-year infrastructure strategy, made a string of recommendations.

These including calling for government-funded projects to be “prioritised against available inclusive net-zero carbon economy outcomes”.

The new National Transport Strategy and Strategic Transport Projects Review, both of which are due to be published later this year, should also “fully reflect the need to deliver an inclusive net zero carbon economy”, it said.

The ICS also wants the Scottish and UK Governments to work together to establish a new payment regime.