Scotland will have a vital role to play in contributing towards UK-wide effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 34% by 2020, relative to 1990 levels (21% relative to 2005), revealed the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) today.

This should be increased to 42% relative to 1990 (31% relative to 2005) once a global deal to reduce emissions is achieved. The CCC says meeting these targets is necessary to contain the threat of climate change.

Emissions in Scotland have already fallen by 13% between 1990 and 2006. The Scottish Government has signed up to an 80% emission reduction target by 2050, relative to 1990 - a level of target recommended by the CCC for the UK as an equitable contribution to global emissions reduction targets. The draft Scottish Climate Change Bill is due to be introduced to the Scottish Parliament by the end of the year.

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The independent Committee’s first report on climate change includes an analysis of what opportunities exist for making emission reductions in Scotland. Scotland could contribute by reducing its emissions by up to 7.5 MtCO2e (million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2020: emissions from buildings and industry could be reduced by up to 4 MtCO2 in 2020 by using energy more efficiently; more efficient vehicles and new transport fuels could deliver reductions of up to 1.5 MtCO2 in 2020 and emissions from agriculture, land use and forestry and waste management sectors could be reduced by up to 2 MtCO2e in 2020.

Building a low-carbon economy, the CCC’s first report sets out the analysis underpinning these recommendations and the proposed level of the first three carbon budgets for the UK covering the periods 2008-12, 2013-17 and 2018-22.

The budgets are a worldwide first, designed under the Climate Change Act, which also establishes the CCC as an independent advisory body to Government.

These significant reductions can be achieved without harming the UK’s economy and at a cost less than 1% of GDP in 2020. In other words, an economy that might grow by 30% in the period to 2020, would instead grow by 29%. The CCC advises that this is a price worth paying, given the long-term costs of inaction on climate change.

Chair of the CCC Lord Turner said: "Climate change poses a grave threat to human welfare, the environment and the economy. We need to act now, in the UK and as part of a global agreement, to significantly reduce our emissions."

(GK/KMcA)