Greater accountability needed on climate change targets - Lib Dems

12.00.00am GMT Mon 8th Dec 2008

Liberal Democrat Climate Change spokesperson, Alison McInnes MSP, has expressed her disappointment over the lack of accountability for meeting annual targets in the Government's draft Climate Change Bill.

The Scottish Government have today published their draft Climate Change Bill which includes a commitment to use annual targets to reach an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The Government's current proposals wouldn't see reports on annual targets laid until the October of the second year after the target year. This means that the first report on annual targets for 2010 won't be published until 2012.

Commenting, Mrs McInnes said:

"Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. It is unfortunate that the SNP's Climate Change Bill is disappointing from day one.

"It comes as a bit of a revelation that the first assessment of annual targets won't come before Parliament until after the next election. This raises questions about how willing the SNP are to put their progress up for scrutiny.

"While Mr Stevenson trumpets the 'best climate change Bill in the world', the reality is that the Government are not prepared to have proper accountability for meeting annual targets."