Environmental (Commonwealth Union)_ Facing growing scrutiny over stalled progress on emissions reduction, the Scottish government has announced it is abandoning its flagship pledge to cut car travel by 20% by 2030. Once a cornerstone of the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) climate agenda, the target is now being deemed “unrealistic” amid minimal changes in car usage across the country.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop delivered the news to Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), confirming that the commitment designed to curb harmful emissions by slashing kilometers traveled by car would either be dropped or significantly altered. Hyslop acknowledged that, despite years of promises, the reduction in car usage since the pre-pandemic period has been modest, at 3.6%.
“This figure of 20% is not realistic and will need to be changed,” Hyslop admitted, adding that while the government remains committed to encouraging reduced car reliance, achieving the originally proposed cuts is no longer feasible.
The announcement follows a critical report earlier this year from Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission, which exposed a troubling lack of leadership and a coherent plan to reduce car use. The watchdogs concluded that Scotland was “unlikely” to meet its 2030 target, prompting a parliamentary review and growing calls for transparency about the government’s climate strategy.
Appearing before Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee, Hyslop confirmed that the government was reassessing its goals, awaiting new expert advice from the Climate Change Committee, expected in May. Nevertheless, she was clear that an overhaul of the target is inevitable.
Political and Environmental Fallout
The retreat has triggered sharp backlash from environmental advocates and opposition politicians alike. Caroline Rance, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, called the move “shameful,” highlighting that car dominance disproportionately affects poorer households, many of whom lack access to private vehicles and suffer from inadequate public transport.
“One-third of Scottish households don’t own a car, and in urban areas, it’s closer to half,” Rance pointed out. “These communities are already marginalized, cut off from essential services, and subjected to toxic air pollution that claims 2,700 lives annually.”
Mark Ruskell MSP, the transport spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, expressed similar criticism, accusing ministers of merely mentioning environmental goals without implementing concrete measures. “Transport emissions are the largest contributor to pollution in Scotland,” Ruskell said. “We’ve known for decades that cutting car use is essential, yet strong words have not been matched by meaningful deeds.”
A Reality Check
The Scottish government’s new approach will involve close collaboration with local authorities through the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and regional transport partnerships. A refreshed policy statement, outlining a more gradual, “phased” strategy for reducing car dependency, is expected later this spring.
Cosla’s environment spokeswoman, Gail Macgregor, acknowledged the failings bluntly: “We haven’t done as much as we should have,” she told MSPs. “We know we’re behind. Many factors contributed to this, but the key now is to be realistic and ensure our route map moving forward is credible.”
Macgregor indicated that while the ambition remains, the path toward cutting car use will now be slower and less aggressive than originally envisioned.
Broader Implications for Scotland’s Climate Goals
The scaling back of the car reduction target comes on the heels of the Scottish government’s earlier decision to abandon its overall 2030 emissions reduction goal, raising broader concerns about the country’s climate leadership. Transport remains the single largest source of emissions in Scotland, and private car use plays a major role in that footprint.
Hyslop reiterated that tackling transport emissions is still a priority but emphasized that the national government cannot achieve it alone. “This needs a collective effort from national and local governments,” she said.
With climate deadlines looming and public trust waning, the Scottish government now faces the challenge of restoring credibility while recalibrating its environmental ambitions to match political and practical realities.
