Carbon Assessment of the 2018-19 Draft Budget

Foreword

Sustainability remains central to the Scottish Government's Purpose, of focussing government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. We are proud of and committed to delivering our ambitious climate change targets, through our transition to a low-carbon economy. We will set out the measures, policies and proposals that will allow us to meet our annual targets, out to 2032, our interim target of a 42% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and set us on track for an 80% reduction by 2050, in the final Climate Change Plan, to be published in February 2018.

We demonstrate our commitment to achieving our climate change goals in this Carbon Assessment, where we consider the emissions impacts associated with Scottish Government spend, as set out in the Draft Budget. This Assessment ensures that climate considerations remain central to our spending decisions. The Carbon Assessment should be read alongside the forthcoming Climate Change Plan, which will provide further detail on how Scottish Government policy will set us on a long-term carbon reduction path.

Derek Mackay, MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution