Even as it made an embarrassing climb down on its climate change targets the Scottish Government had the nerve last week to try to rekindle fading hopes of a green industrial boom.

Following high drama at Holyrood, the SNP Government found its credibility in tatters after deciding to axe its target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030.

The target was an essential element of a plan that was meant to see Scotland racing to net zero by 2045 leaving neighbouring countries trailing in its wake. Boris Johnson aimed to put the UK on course to achieve net zero in 2050.

However, the SNP Government conceded last week that it didn’t have a hope of meeting the 2030 target, which the Climate Change Committee had told ministers ages ago was unrealistic.

The decision to scrap the target sparked fury among members of the Scottish Greens on whom the SNP has relied to prop up the administration it leads and to bang the drum for independence.

Green activists want a vote on whether the party should withdraw from the power-sharing agreement struck with former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon three years ago.

READ MORE: SNP Government must turn grand words on climate into action

While economy secretary Mairi McAllan insisted the Scottish Government was not embarrassed about dropping the 2030 target, SNP supporters tried to put the blame on Westminster as per. They claimed the problem was lack of investment by Tory governments.

But Friends of the Earth Scotland said the fault lay with the Scottish Government.

“The Scottish Government’s repeated failure to bring in policies like improved public transport and better insulation and heating and homes has meant carbon emissions have not been reduced in line with the legal commitments,” said the campaigning group.

The saga provides another glaring example of the Scottish Government’s inability to deliver on big promises that it........

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