SNP-Greens draw up plans to help councils charge road users after climate U-turn

The Scottish Government confirmed it is is scrapping its 2030 target to cut emissions by 75 per cent after admitting that it no longer possible to achieve.

SNP Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan has faced severe criticism for watering down Scotland’s legal climate targets, as have her government partners, the Scottish Greens.

Friend of the Earth Scotland has branded the U-turn "the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament”.

Alongside the confirmation that the Climate Change Act will be amended, Ms McAllan announced 19 new policies in conjunction with the Greens, that ministers hope will kick-start more action to cut emissions.

The Scottish Government has long-committed to cutting ‘car kilometres’ by 20 per cent by 2030, but has faced criticism for failing to bring forward a plan. But one of the key measures announced by Ms McAllan is to publish a routemap by the autumn of this year on how that key pledge will achieved.

The document will include “a timeline for implementing demand management” and “consideration of how local government action can further incentivise the switch” to electric vehicles.

The Scotsman understands that that could include empowering local authorities to have the ability to introduce road user charging or congestion charges as part of a strategy to encourage motorists onto public transport. The Transport Act gave the power for local authorities to implement charging schemes for road users.

Speaking in Holyrood, Ms McAllan stressed her government “will help people be less reliant on cars”.

She added: “This will not be a one size fits all top-down approach.

“We understand that urban and rural Scotland will contribute differently to this and our just transition plan for transport will ensure support for all communities.”

The transport convener of Edinburgh City Council, Scott Arthur, has previously claimed that he has held talks with Transport Scotland over a “pay-as-you drive road-charging model”.

Ms McAllan also set out that “by the end of 2024, we will publish a new routemap for the delivery of approximately 24,000 additional charge points by 2030” to ramp up a switch to electric vehicles. There will also be measures drawn up to “accelerate the switch” from petrol and diesel vans and “a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport in Scotland”.

In confirming her U-turn over the 2030 target, Ms McAllan suggested that new five-year carbon budgets will be brought forward, in line with UK-wide recording.

The cabinet secretary told MSPs her government will draw up a “minor legislative amendment” to the Climate Change Act. Confirming the 2030 target will be scrapped, Ms McAllan insisted that Scotland’s 2045 net zero target remains in place.

Scottish Conservative shadow net zero, energy and transport secretary, Douglas Lumsden, said the U-turn amounted to “absolute humiliation for the SNP-Greens”.

Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie insisted that “everybody should be angry” about the lack of progress.

He added: “We haven’t seen the progress that’s necessary on reducing emissions from a range of different sectors”.