Scotland hits climate goals for the third year in a row

The latest official figures show Scotland has hit its statutory annual climate change target for the third year in a row, after achieving a 49 per cent cut in emissions from 1990 levels.

The 2016 statistics suggest the country is still on course to exceed its current 2020 goal, which demands reductions of 42 per cent.

The 2020 target was met and exceeded in 2014.

The figures also show Scotland continues to outperform the UK as a whole.

Two measures of greenhouse gases are presented in the report – source, or actual, emissions, and adjusted emissions, which take into account Scotland’s participation in Euwide emissions trading and are used to measure progress against targets.

The adjusted figures show a drop of 45.2 per cent was reached in 2016, a 2.5 per cent rise on 2015.

Sources emissions were down 10.3 per cent.

Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham said the statistics underline Scotland’s role as a world leader in the battle against climate change.

She added: “I want to thank the households, communities and businesses who are working hard every day to reduce their own emissions. But we must go further and faster if we are to meet our responsibilities to our children, grandchildren and future generations.”