The bill, which scraps Scotland’s targets on emissions, was voted through at Holyrood today despite the Scottish Greens abstaining and naming it an "admission of failure". 

A total of 105 MSPs voted through the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill during the final stage of the bill today with only 7 MSPs - all the Scottish Green MSPs - voting to abstain. No-one voted against the bill. 

The legislation was brought in after ministers were forced to abandon their key target of reducing greenhouse emissions by 75% by 2030. 

During the debate on the bill today, the Minister for Climate Action Gillian Martin said it was a source of “great regret” the Scottish Government has not been able to meet this target. 

Ministers accepted in April that the goal was “out of reach”, but because it was included in climate change legislation, ministers have had to bring forward the Bill to amend it.

As well as amending the previous legislation in 2019, it will see Scotland move to a five-year cycle of carbon budgeting, instead of aiming to reduce emissions by a certain proportion by a set time, while still retaining the ultimate target of reaching net zero by 2045.

Backing his party abstaining from the vote, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the parliament “should be embarrassed” by the need for this bill which he described as an “admission of failure”. 

“That failure is largely a result of political choices that have been made,” said Mr Harvie, “The problem isn’t what’s in the bill, the problem is what’s missing from the bill and that’s urgent climate action.” 

Scottish Labour’s Monica Lennon said although she was “frustrated” by where the country is in terms of climate change action, “we’ve got to a good place” in terms of the progress with the bill. 

Scottish Conservatives' Douglas Lumsden MSP said his party would be backing the bill but added the "the SNP are all talk and no action when it comes to climate change" and it signalled a “humiliating climbdown” for the party in government. 

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Ms Martin thanked all those in the Chamber who had an “open door” policy when it came to discussing the bill, adding she was pleased there was “agreement from a vast majority” to the amendments from the government. 

Ms Martin said: “Scotland is now halfway to net zero and continues to be ahead of the UK as a whole in delivering long term emissions reductions.

“The Scottish Government’s commitment to ending Scotland’s contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest, as agreed by Parliament on a cross-party basis, is unwavering. It is crucial that our target pathway to 2045 is set at a pace and scale that is feasible and reflects the latest independent expert advice. 

“Carbon budgets are an established model for assessment of emissions reductions used by other nations including Japan, France, England and Wales, and they will include emissions from international aviation and shipping and there will be no provision to “carry over” emissions from one carbon budget to another.

“We will continue leading on climate action that is fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency before us and reflects our commitment to the ambition of credible emissions reduction.”

The bill is now expected to receive royal assent before it becomes law.

After the Bill was passed, Imogen Dow, the head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “The climate humiliation for the Scottish Government is complete.” 

“Removing annual climate targets is a deeply cynical attempt to move the goalposts after 15 years of climate failure by a succession of Scottish Government ministers.”

Ms Dow continued: “The record of cuts and backsliding on climate action we’ve witnessed in recent months under John Swinney and Kate Forbes show that this Government is not interested in getting its climate action back on track.

“Scotland’s climate targets were challenging but achievable. Ministers missed so many opportunities to deliver popular changes that would have improved public transport, cut fuel poverty by insulating homes and created decent green jobs.”

Claire Daly, of WWF Scotland, said while the legislation “makes the best of a bad situation”, there was “no time to delay” when tackling climate change.

She insisted: “The Scottish Government must focus on delivering the actions desperately needed to bring down emissions and help nature recover.”