Scotland sets ambitious goal of 66% emissions cut within 15 years
Thursday 19 January 2017 14.46 GMT


Scotland is seeking to dramatically cut its reliance on fossil fuels for cars, energy and homes after setting a radical target to cut total climate emissions by 66% within 15 years.

In one of the world’s most ambitious climate strategies, ministers in Edinburgh have unveiled far tougher targets to increase the use of ultra-low-carbon cars, green electricity and green home heating by 2032.

The Scottish government has set the far higher target after its original goal of cutting Scotland’s emissions by 42% by 2020 was met six years early – partly because climate change has seen winters which are warmer than normal, cutting emissions for home heating.

The new strategy, which is expected to cost up to Ł3bn a year to implement and is closely linked to a new renewable energy programme due to be published this month, will call for:

• 40% of all new cars and vans sold in Scotland to be ultra-low-emission by 2032, with 50% of Scotland’s buses to be low-carbon.

• A totally carbon-free electricity sector based entirely on renewable energy sources by 2032, when Scotland’s last nuclear power station will close.

• Four out of five of Scotland’s 2m homes to be heated using low-carbon technologies.

• The repairing of 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands, which store a total of 1.7 gigatonnes of CO2 in Scotland.

• At least 30% of Scotland’s vital publicly owned ferry fleet to be low-carbon, powered by hybrid engines.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environm...ithin-15-years