The Scottish Government will publish its third draft Climate Change Plan later this week.

With Scotland having already exceeded its 2020 emissions reductions target six years early, the draft document will be unveiled on Thursday, 19 January.

However, Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham warned exiting the European Single Market could threaten the country's environmental plans.

"The European Union has been a significant driver of environmental policy and legislation for the last 40 years," she said.

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"As consumers we have benefitted from EU rules and as a society we have achieved a high level of environmental protection and measures to combat climate change. This has helped Scotland progress our world leading low carbon ambitions.

"We must continue to do our utmost to protect our position as climate change leaders and to continue to play the role that we have been playing in contributing to EU-wide environmental policies. EU climate leadership and diplomacy and being able to negotiate on level terms with the USA, China and India, was central to delivering an ambitious international climate agreement."

The new draft Climate Change bill includes a new 2020 target of reducing Scottish emissions by over 50%

(LM)