The Scottish government’s decision to row back on its 2030 climate pledge illustrates the crux of any target: it’s easy to set one with a big political flourish, but harder to follow through with a careful plan to achieve it.
Does that mean that targets for reducing the emissions of greenhouse gas driving climate change are worthless? Not necessarily. There are two types of climate target: the empty promise and the calculated ambition. Only one of these works.
Empty promises abound in climate policy. Such targets deflect criticism – look, they say, we take climate change seriously, we have a strong target. But a closer look reveals, at best, loopholes and at worst, no plan at all.
For example, despite numerous oil and gas companies pledging to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, an extensive analysis revealed that emissions from the sector aren’t falling and most companies with targets haven’t clarified how they intend to meet them.
Targets like this conveniently allow companies to carry on with their core business while promising change. It’s no different to lounging on a sofa eating chocolate, proclaiming that you’ll join a gym in 2025.
The UK’s Climate Change Act, a........