The Paris Agreement belongs to all of us
Population: 5.4 million (2015)
GDP: £152 billion (2015)
GHG emissions: 46.7 million tons CO2e (2014 - before adjustment for EU ETS)
Scotland cut its emissions by 45.8% between 1990 and 2014, exceeding the level of its statutory 2020 target (a 42% cut) six years early. The Scottish Government has committed to set a new and even more ambitious target for 2020. Scotland also met its target for 500 MW of community and locally owned renewables five years early, with an estimated 508 MW operational by September 2015. By 2014, Scotland had reduced final energy consumption by 15%, having passed its 2020 target of 12% in 2013, seven years early. Provisionally, 56.7% of Scotland’s equivalent electricity demand is now from renewables. Scotland’s National Action Plan on Human Rights commits to continued action to champion climate justice and at the COP21 Paris climate conference, Scotland’s First Minister announced a doubling of funding for Scotland’s innovative Climate Justice Fund with £12 million over the next four years.
Scotland, a devolved nation covering about a third of the UK land mass, has a rich history and culture as well as a varied landscape made up of the famous highlands, islands, lochs and firths. Scotland's economy has now shifted from having a focus on shipbuilding and heavy industry to one with financial services, electronics and ICT technologies, engineering, chemicals, energy and tourism industries at its core.
In 1998 a new devolved Scottish Parliament was formed by the UK Government. The Scottish Government has the power to set its own national environmental policy and to allocate funds, and now has some powers over taxation.
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of at least 42% by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050 from 1990 levels. The Act also put in place a framework for progress reporting, assigned duties to public bodies, and created provisions for forestry, energy efficiency, waste reduction and adaptation programs. Finally, it outlined the responsibilities for public engagement and carbon assessment.
