The Scottish government has confirmed it is scrapping its key climate target to cut car use by 20% by 2030.

Originally a Scottish National Party (SNP) manifesto pledge, the aim was to reduce the total distance travelled by car across the country to help curb emissions.

However, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop told the Scottish Parliament the goal was “not realistic and will need to be changed,” noting that car use in Scotland has only dropped by 3.6% since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

A January report by Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission criticised the lack of leadership and a “clear plan” for reducing car travel, concluding the 2030 target was unlikely to be met. Following that report, Hyslop appeared before Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee and confirmed the target was under review.

Ministers will now consult with the Climate Change Committee for revised guidance.

But Hyslop told MSPs: “We will have more realistic targets.

“I’m reviewing the target, we won’t be able to deliver 20% car kilometre reductions.

“We are reappraising what we are doing.”

When questioned by Conservative MSP Graham Simpson, Hyslop admitted the target had effectively been dropped—just months after the government also abandoned its broader 2030 emissions reduction goal.

The transport secretary said: “We will need to drop the target, or change the target from 20%.”

She stressed the Scottish government will “still want to support car use reduction”, but added: “I think the figure of 20% is not realistic and will need to be changed.”

She accepted “car use in Scotland is currently contributing significantly to carbon emissions, and that must change”.

Friends of the Earth Scotland called the move “shameful.”

She said: “One third of households in Scotland don’t have access to a car, in our cities it’s closer to a half. These are typically the poorest households, and poor public transport options means they are cut off from school, work and health appointments.

“Meanwhile, 2,700 people die every year from toxic air pollution and many more suffer from poor health because of it. Ministers failing to get a grip on car dominance means failing to protect these people.”

Scottish Greens’ transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP added: “Emissions from transport remain the largest source of pollution in Scotland, and private car use makes up a huge share of that.

“We’ve known for decades that to tackle the climate emergency, we need to cut car use, and while the Scottish government has been strong with words, their actions have been lacking.”

Hyslop said the government is now working with Cosla and regional transport bodies to respond to Audit Scotland’s findings. She stressed that reducing car use “is not something national government can do alone” and promised a joint policy statement with Cosla later this spring.

Cosla’s environment spokesperson, Gail Macgregor, acknowledged shortcomings, saying local authorities “haven’t done as much as we should have done.”

She told the MSPs: “We know we’re behind, there has been many factors to that but what is key now is to look forward and ensure our route map is as it should be.

“We’re looking at a more phased approach now, so we probably won’t be delivering as ambitiously as we originally would have intended, but I think that is a reality check that we have to do that.”

 

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