The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has suggested that Scotland introduce congestion charges to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.

The advice comes after it was revealed Scotland had missed its emission targets in 2012. Total net emissions for the year were 55.67 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), whereas the target was 53.226 MtCO2e. Despite this, the country still performed better than other parts of the UK.

Congestion charging was put forward as a possible solution because a disproportionate 21 per cent of Scotland’s emissions come from transport, and the tactic has been effective at cutting road traffic in London.

Concerns were also raised about the Scottish government’s plans to cut air passenger duty by 50 per cent, as it is believed that this could result in a significant rise in air travel.
A study from Imperial College London also showed that Scotland would fail to meet its target of providing 11 per cent of heat energy from renewable sources by 2020 without significant policy changes.