Patrick Harvie facing wrath of Scottish Greens members

She confirmed the target, which was included in legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2019, was being abandoned.

The move has caused a furious reaction among Greens activists who will quiz Mr Harvie, along with MSPs Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay in an online meeting tonight.

It comes at a time when the Bute House Agreement, which saw the Greens enter government with the SNP in August 2021, is already under strain.

"Many members are incredibly disappointed and increasingly frustrated at the direction of travel of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Greens leadership," a senior member told The Herald.

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Ms McAllan set out "new package of climate action measures", including the setting up of a climate assembly and trebling the number of charging points available for electric vehicles, in a bid to encourage more people to switch away from petrol and diesel.

However the measures do not appear to have placated Scottish Green members.

"The climate announcements today seem wholly inadequate to the challenge ahead of us and many of them will be managed by SNP ministers," the member told The Herald.

The Bute House Agreement was signed between the SNP and the Scottish Greens in August 2021. Photo PA.

"Many Green members do not trust what the SNP promise, especially when they did not consult with us on the council tax freeze."

They added: "One of the reasons why we have had to water down these targets is the SNP have been in power for 17 years and they have not taken the actions necessary.

"Now we're in government and our ministers are sitting with egg on their faces as we haven't managed to push [the SNP] further and faster."

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Ms McAllan's statement came hours after NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde suspended the use of puberty blockers to new patients under 18s with gender dysphoria.

The member said: "Members have been discussing the [climate] announcement today on internal channels and the overwhelming feeling is of disappointment and frustration.

"It has been a particular difficult day for members as instead of trans health care being pushed forward and progressed we are now seeing care restricted.

"So the combination of the dropping of the targets announcement and the Sandyford announcement has very much focused minds that perhaps the spirit of the Bute House Agreement isn't being adhered to.

First Minister Humza Yousaf with the Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater. Photo PA.

"And I definitely think members will be challenging our leadership this evening on this. Many people think the leadership need to wake up."

They continued: "Some members are thinking can we achieve more of our party's goals by leveraging support from opposition over a minority SNP government than we can by being in government?"

Environmental groups and trade unions were highly critical of McAllan's announcement.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Imogen Dow said it was "the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament."

Ms Dow said that instead of a "significant response and a ramping up of action", the Scottish Government had "presented a weak package of re-heated ideas, many of which were already pledged years ago and never delivered."

RSPB Scotland said the decision was "massively worrying."

"Future generations will struggle to understand how our politicians couldn’t do more," they added.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The Scottish Government ditching its emissions target is the latest setback in a growing list of failed green policies. The repeated inability to meet its own emissions and green jobs targets is inextricably linked. Government ministers need a reality check. 

“The fact is you can’t meet emissions targets unless there is a coherent energy strategy in place and government ministers at Holyrood and Westminster have abysmally failed to deliver that.”

In a press statement the Scottish Greens at Holyrood welcomed the new measures set out by the Scottish Government to meet the 2045 target.

It did not express anger or frustration at the abandonment of the 2030 target.

"Tackling road congestion, installing a huge network of 24,000 EV charge points and bringing in integrated tickets to make bus, train, subway and ferry travel easier are among a raft of new measures announced today to ramp up action on the climate crisis.  

"Setting-up a new Climate Assembly to build public understanding and engagement on the transition to net-zero, creating greener jobs for workers at Mossmorran and Grangemouth, and making public subsidies for farming conditional on measures to understand and reduce emissions are among other measures to be rolled-out," it said.

"New climate legislation has also been proposed to introduce a system of five-yearly carbon budgets that will be designed to put Scotland on track to its net-zero by 2045 goal as recommended by the UK’s Climate Change Committee.  

"Efforts to get political leaders from England, Wales and Northern Ireland to join Scotland as part of a Four Nations climate response group and a carbon tax on large estates, a review on business rates to encourage green investment, and a renewed push to develop and implement an air departure tax will also be taken forward. " 

The Scottish Greens climate spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP said today's announcement would see Scotland shift "from targets to action".

He insisted the Greens in government were making a difference and that the Scottish Goverment were committed to tackling climate change.

“Scotland is halfway to net zero, and on the leading edge of the global renewable energy industry, but the hard work is still to come after years of missed opportunities," he said.

“This package ramps up action across some of the toughest areas to reduce emissions, and will provide people and businesses with the support they need to cut emissions and build a green, net-zero economy. 

 “I’m delighted the workforce at Mossmorran will be able to co-design a plan to build a greener and cleaner industry, while we also roll out support and incentives for farming and establish a Climate Assembly so everyone has a voice over our climate futures." 
 

He added: “Across the world and in Scotland decision makers have delayed the action we need for decades, while the climate emergency has intensified. Today’s announcements see us shift from targets to action.  

“Scottish Greens in government are making the difference. There is no doubt that this Scottish Government is committed to tackling the biggest challenge of all our lifetimes - in complete contrast to the Westminster political machine’s hostility towards climate action.”