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Letter: Scotland advised to cut emissions by 3.5% each year from 2020 to 2050 – 31 January 2011

From: Lord Adair Turner To: Roseanna Cunningham MSP Extract:

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) today advised the Scottish Government to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 3.5% each year from 2020 to 2050, as a ‘fair and safe’ contribution to tackling climate change.

The Committee was asked by the Scottish Government to recommend a cumulative emissions budget for Scotland for the period 2010 to 2050, to ensure that Scotland makes an appropriate contribution to wider global efforts to reduce emissions. The Committee recommended a cumulative emissions budget of 1,250 MtCO2e between 2010 and 2050, suggesting that this should be achieved via a 42% cut in emissions by 2020 relative to 1990 levels, a 60% cut by 2030, and an 80% cut by 2050. This would reduce per capita emissions in Scotland from around 10 tCO2e now to 2 tCO2e in 2050.

David Kennedy, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change said: “There is potential in Scotland to make a significant contribution to wider efforts to tackle climate change. Emissions cuts of between 3 and 4% annually through to 2050 are feasible, but will require new policies. The cost of achieving emissions cuts is more than offset by the climate change and wider economic benefits.” The advice was set out in a letter from Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the CCC to Scottish Minister for Environment and Climate Change Roseanna Cunningham MSP.

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