Scottish plans to cut pollution could cost £11 billion

The costs of Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets have been revealed in a report by Audit Scotland, which estimates the scheme may cost up to £11 billion.

The report, entitled Reducing Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions, also documented a target of 42 per cent emissions reduction by 2020, which is significantly higher than the UK's target of 34 per cent, and is over double the EU's 20 per cent target.

The country has already reduced emissions by over 25 per cent since 1990; this latest push would make them one of the greenest countries in Europe.

The government is yet to decide how it will pay for such an extensive scheme, with many aspects of the plan requiring action from outside the Scottish government’s control. Improving the efficiency of housing, reducing emissions from transport and ‘changing the public attitude’ have been cited as the areas of focus.

Auditor general for Scotland Robert Black said: "To meet the 2020 target, new policies will need to be delivered successfully, especially in transport.

"The challenges will be that much greater over the next few years when the pressures on Scotland's public sector finances are likely to increase."

Posted by Lauren Steadman