Scotland set to miss another major climate target

The Scottish Government is likely to miss a key target on reducing car use, the public spending watchdog has said.

Audit Scotland said the government had made “minimal progress” in its flagship target of reducing car kilometres driven by 20 per cent by 2030.

Officials said the government’s “lack of leadership” on achieving the goal means it may now be out of reach.

With a surge in car traffic, falling public transport use and no “significant change” in active transport, the target seems “unlikely” to be met.

The goal was central to Scotland’s climate change plans, with domestic transport being the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about a quarter of all emissions.

Auditor general for Scotland Stephen Boyle has called on the government to consider how this will impact its “wider ambitions” to reach net zero by 2045.

Scotland has already scrapped its annual and interim climate targets, replacing them with a system measuring emissions every five years. MSPs were forced to vote for the decision in November after the government acknowledged earlier in the year that its 75 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030, against 1990s levels, had become unattainable.

Audit Scotland said the government’s failure to deliver “clear guidance and direction” had led to inadequate funding to back the target. It argued spending by councils and the government on reducing car use is “complex, fragmented and lacks transparency”.

In its report, Audit Scotland urged the government to publish a “realistic” set measures on achieving the goal by the end of the year.

This includes a delivery plan, outlining the responsibilities the government, councils and Regional Transport Partnerships are expected to fulfil as well as timescales, costs, and a monitoring and evaluation plan to achieve the target.

Other plans include publishing guidance for councils on how to reduce car use so that they are not held back by local challenges, including geographical barriers and poor public transportation links.

It also called on the government and Cosla to confirm joint governance and collective accountability arrangements for managing progress towards the target by the end of the financial year.

Ruth MacLeod, a member of the Accounts Commission, said: "All parts of government need to act to deliver the 2030 car use reduction target. Councils need to set out to what extent they will contribute and how they will measure their progress. 

“But they also need clearer guidance and direction from the Scottish Government to agree their role in reducing car use in their area.”

Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Claire Baker said: “This damning report lays bare the SNP’s failure to build a greener, modern transport system.

“Once again, the SNP has been setting targets and then failing to lift a finger to deliver on them. We need a real strategy to make public transport and active travel practical and affordable options for all.”

Research by Audit Scotland revealed that public transport passenger numbers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Train journeys in 2022/23 were more than a third lower than in 2019/20, while bus journeys were still 60 million short of 2019/2020 figures.

Additionally, last year, the Climate Change Committee noted that car traffic in Scotland is rebounding from Covid levels at a faster rate than the rest of the UK. As of 2023, road traffic levels remained 20 billion kilometres above the 2030 target.

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “We welcome Audit Scotland’s Sustainable Transport Report published today and we will consider its recommendations, working collaboratively with COSLA, regional transport and local authority partners – as car reduction is a joint commitment.

“Reducing Scotland’s reliance on cars and encouraging a shift towards public transport and active travel is a crucial step in meeting our climate targets. It also mirrors the thinking which is underway across the world in terms of reducing emissions and creating greener, healthier and more enjoyable environments for people and communities.

“We recognise that Scotland has still got some way to go to transition from private vehicles and towards more sustainable public transport – and cross party support at all levels of government is key.

“The 2025-26 budget invests £263 million in sustainable travel, low carbon and climate positive activities to support the switch to zero emission vehicles and promote walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday shorter journeys.”