This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New climate change target
30/03/2006
Scotland will exceed its UK climate change contribution by reducing carbon by an additional one million tonnes in 2010.
Scotland's new Climate Change Programme Changing our Ways, published today, quantifies for the first time in carbon terms the contribution Scotland must make towards UK commitments to reduce greenhouse gases.
The Scottish Share has been calculated at 1.7 million tonnes of carbon savings in 2010. But today Environment Minister Ross Finnie has vowed to make an even greater contribution:
"The commitment we are making today is a serious response to the threat that climate change poses to our communities, our environment and our economy. It represents a stepping up of our efforts and ambitions.
"Climate change requires an urgent, global response. Scotland may be a small country, but size is not an excuse for inaction.
"We have a responsibility to change our ways and lead by example. Scotland's new Climate Change Programme sets an ambitious Scottish Target to exceed our share of the UK carbon savings by an additional one million tonnes in 2010.
"This will be achieved through new and strengthened policies across key sectors including energy, transport, agriculture and the public sector.
Deputy Environment Minister Rhona Brankin added:
"But of course politicians cannot act in isolation. It's also in your hands. Each and every one of us can act now in our homes, work and travel to protect the future of our planet. We all need to change our ways.
We are committed to tackling climate change in a sustainable way - both in terms of reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable impacts.
"This new Programme is the start, not the end of the process. Over the coming months and years we will continue to identify further opportunities to reduce Scotland's global footprint."
The UK's Climate Change Programme was published on Tuesday 28 March.
The Scottish Share is the amount of carbon savings that Scotland has to deliver through its devolved policies to match savings from all devolved policies in the UK Climate Change Programme, on a per capita basis. This provides a way of benchmarking the effectiveness of Executive policies.
The Scottish Executive will report annually on progress with the Climate Change Programme, to the Cabinet in the first instance and then the Scottish Parliament.
The Executive will be taking steps to 'carbon proof' policies to assess their carbon impact in a consistent and routine manner. This will provide information on cost-effectiveness which will contribute to the decision-making process.
Scotland's net greenhouse gas emissions fell by 14 per cent between 1990 and 2003 (from 17.3 to 14.9 million tonnes of carbon).