Carbon Budget Call for Views

Overview

The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2024 introduced a new system of setting statutory emission reduction targets, moving from a system of annual targets to five-year carbon budgets. Five-year carbon budgets set a legally binding cap on the maximum level of emissions for a period of five years (as opposed to one year). In effect, a carbon budget is the amount of carbon that Scotland has available to ‘spend’ in a set time frame. The Scottish Parliament agreed to move to this system because it was seen as more flexible, allowing amongst other things for the “natural“ variability in emissions that occur, for instance, when a winter is warmer or colder than usual but which tend to smooth out over the longer term.

The regulations laid by the Scottish Government on 19 June set out that the Scottish Government accepts the Climate Change Committee’s overall advice on carbon budget levels. The 2024 Act also provides that the Scottish Government must lay an ‘indicative statement’, alongside the regulations. This must set out, in indicative terms, the proposals and policies in relation to each of the sectors which are likely to be set out in the next CCP. The published indicative statement which accompanies the regulations sets out that the Scottish Government intend to deviate from the CCC's advice in how they will achieve these emission reduction levels in both peatland restoration and agriculture.

The Committee would therefore be grateful for answers to the following questions from your organisation by Monday 18 August.

Questions

1. What are your views on whether the carbon budget regulations set the right level of ambition between 2026 and 2045? 

2. What are your views on the content of the Scottish Government’s Indicative Statement to accompany the regulations? 

How to submit your views

Please submit your views using the online submission form, linked to below.