ACHIEVING NET ZERO //
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SCOTLAND'S JOURNEY TO NET ZERO //

  
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Scotland's Journey to Net Zero - Main Text


The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which advises both Scottish and UK governments recommended in 2019 that Scotland should set its Net Zero deadline to 2045. The Scottish Government also adopted a new, ambitious goal to decrease emissions by 75% by 2030 in response to the UN Paris Accord, setting legally-binding aims to reduce emissions to net zero by that time.

These targets were set due to greenhouse gas emissions occurring at an unsustainable rate and if we did not take prompt action, the damage to the planet could become irreparable. 

The CCC advised in 2022: “Over the last 30 years, average temperature in Scotland has risen by 0.5⁰C, Scottish winters have become 5% wetter and sea level around the Scottish coast has increased by up to 3cm each decade.”
 
The Scottish Government has set out its strategy to respond to this in its “Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan” 2023. The document sets out key ambitions for Scotland’s energy future which are presented in the illustration above. 
 
So why net zero rather than zero or gross-zero? Net zero indicates we're not simply reducing harmful greenhouse gases, but also taking actions to restore the balance in our environment. Gross Zero would entail ceasing all emissions, which is not feasible in all areas of the country. 

The country has already seen a wide range of innovative new developments supporting these goals such as Orkney’s Tidal Turbine being the world's first offshore tidal energy array; Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, Dundee, specialising in electric vehicles; Glasgow investing in hydrogen powered refuse trucks and Scotland’s world-first Unesco Trail.

Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary, Michael Matheson, said in 2022:  "Progress has been made - Scotland is already more than half way to net zero - but we are now entering the most challenging part of the journey to date, with a need to halve our emissions again within the next eight years."
​

The CCC advised in its Scottish Emissions Targets first five yearly review, from 2022 that: “the target to cut emissions by 75% by 2030 is "extremely challenging" and suggests a 65% to 67% cut is more feasible.”
 
It is crucial that now the Scottish Governments has published its Draft Plan it can begin to implement the range of recommendations made in the document to utilise the wealth of renewable resources available to the country while reducing carbon emissions.


POSTER RESOURCES //


To find out more about this topic please visit the following websites which were used to create this poster:

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT //

Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan
https://www.gov.scot/publications/draft-energy-strategy-transition-plan/documents/
 
Reaching net zero
https://www.gov.scot/news/reaching-net-zero-1/
 
Scotland to become a net-zero society
https://www.gov.scot/news/scotland-to-become-a-net-zero-society/

Delivering a fair and secure zero carbon energy system
https://www.gov.scot/news/delivering-a-fair-and-secure-zero-carbon-energy-system/
​

​
UK GOVERNMENT //

​Review of Net Zero
​https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-net-zero

​
Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy

​
OTHER //
 
​Scotland-is-going-net-zero
https://www.scotland.org/about-scotland/scotlands-stories/scotland-is-going-net-zero
 
Scottish Emissions Targets first five yearly review
https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Scottish-Emissions-Targets-first-five-yearly-review.pdf
 
Scotland loses UK climate change lead, advisers warn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63872365
 
Net Zero emissions by 2045 – is Scotland on track?https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/net-zero-emissions-by-2045-is-scotland-on-track-food-podcasts/
 
About Net Zero
https://www.netzeronation.scot/the-importance-of-net-zero
 
Scotland is not yet climate ready, CCC says
https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/03/15/scotland-is-not-yet-climate-ready/
 
World Meteorological Organization
https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate
 
The Guardian view on the UK’s net zero targets: time to walk the walk
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/06/the-guardian-view-on-the-uks-net-zero-targets-time-to-walk-the-walk
 
Net zero: why does Scotland have a different target date?
https://app.croneri.co.uk/questions-and-answers/net-zero-why-does-scotland-have-different-target-date
 
Under2 Coalition
https://www.theclimategroup.org/under2-coalition
 
Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo)
https://www.gov.scot/groups/wellbeing-economy-governments-wego/
 
Orkney Tidal Turbine - world's first offshore tidal energy array and the world’s most powerful 
https://www.scotland.org/features/orkney-tidal-turbine-breaking-energy-generation-records
 
EMEC The European Marine Energy Centre LTD.
https://www.emec.org.uk/projects/hydrogen-projects/
 
Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, Dundee manufacture of hydrogen fuel cells for electric vehicles (EVs).
https://www.sdi.co.uk/invest-in-scotland/invest-in-projects/michelin-scotland-innovation-parc-dundee

Glasgow to get fleet of 19 hydrogen-powered refuse trucks
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-54364426

Kincardine Offshore Floating Wind Farm
https://www.grupocobra.com/en/proyecto/kincardine-offshore-floating-wind-farm/ 
 
Hywind Scotland
https://www.equinor.com/energy/hywind-scotland
 
World’s first UNESCO Trail wins European sustainability award
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23130650.worlds-first-unesco-trail-wins-european-sustainability-award/

https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/marketing/toolkits/unesco-trail
 
 
Innovation Critical – Scotland's Net Zero Mission 
https://www.scdi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Innovation-Critical-REPORT-SCDI-2021-1.pdf
​

Net Zero Scotland - Highlands and Islands Enterprise
​
https://www.hie.co.uk/support/browse-all-support-services/net-zero-scotland/
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