SNP ministers have been accused of climate “rank hypocrisy” after refusing to commit to halting an expansion of aviation and investigate making rail travel a cheaper alternative to flying.

The Scottish Government has been criticised after refusing to accept four recommendations from its statutory advisers, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) - including two relating to aviation.

Scotland has pledged to become carbon net zero by 2045, including for aviation and shipping – five years ahead of the UK-wide date of 2050.

But the Scottish Government has faced criticism after missing its annual greenhouse gas targets for the last three years in a row. The administration's decision to continue backing an expansion of Heathrow airport has also drawn anger of climate activists and some opposition politicians.

The CCC set out a flurry or recommendations to the Scottish Government in December last year and highlighted a concern that policies were “vague and weak”.

The chairman of the CCC , Lord Deben, said that “the credibility of the Scottish climate framework is in jeopardy.”

More than five months later, SNP Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson has now responded to the 70 recommendations – but has refused to endorse four of them.

Of the four that have not been backed, Mr Matheson said they would be “kept under review”.

The CCC has called for SNP and Green ministers to “take steps to address the price imbalances between aviation and surface transport once aviation taxation is devolved”, to help encourage use of low carbon alternatives such as rail services.

The recommendation has been given added weight after the Scottish Government nationalised ScotRail in April.

But in response, rejecting the recommendation, ministers have warned that “Scotland’s geography means that air travels plays an important role in providing connectivity” with other parts of the UK and within Scotland, adding that most people are “choosing to fly over other forms of transport because it is quicker”.

Instead the Scottish Government said it was prioritising “working with the aviation industry to reduce the environmental impact of air travel” instead of examining pricing – as well as “supporting and facilitating greater use of rail where this is a viable alternative”.

Another recommendation the CCC issued to ensure Scotland’s climate targets remain on track is that “there should be no net expansion or airport capacity” unless the aviation sector is “on track to sufficiently outperform its emissions trajectory and can accommodate the additional demand”. The CCC had warned that “a demand management framework will need to be developed” by the end of this year and be in place by the mid-2020s.

But the Scottish Government said it “cannot currently accept” the recommendation.

In their response, ministers said they have “committed to work to decarbonise scheduled flights within Scotland by 2040”.

But the Government has suggested that in the short term, “sustainable aviation fuels” can cut emissions.

An aviation strategy is being drawn up by ministers to “accelerate the transition to low and zero-emission aviation” while “recognising the importance of air travel to Scotland’s economy and society and the need to reduce the environmental impact of aviation”.

Scottish Labour transport spokesperson, Neil Bibby, said: "This is the SNP's rank hypocrisy in action.

"You could fill a book with the SNP's grandstanding and rhetoric on the environment, but when it matters, they refuse to act.

"Rail passengers are paying rip off fares for a service that has been cut to the bone, forcing people into gas guzzling cars.

"Scottish Labour are clear that we need to halve fares while people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, and overhaul fares in the long term so travelling doesn't cost the earth - the SNP need to put their money where their mouth is and deliver this."

Scottish LibDems net zero spokesperson, Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, said: "Given how often Scotland's emissions targets have been missed, I don't think anyone expected any better from the SNP but it’s really disappointing to see the Scottish Greens go along with this.

"Not only is the SNP-Green Government doubling down on expanding aviation, they are not even prepared to use the powers at their disposal to incentivise rail use.

"When it comes to tackling climate change, this is a government that is full of hot air. Future generations will not thank them for their short-sightedness."

In his response to the CCC, Mr Matheson admitted “the focus now in Scotland must be on the delivery of our policies aimed at driving transformational emissions reductions”.

He added: “The CCC have categorised the recommendations as either being the sole responsibility of the Scottish Government or having a joint responsibility with the UK Government. “Of the 14 that have joint responsibility, we have accepted or partially accepted 13 of these; we’d expect the UK Government to match our ambition to ensure these can be delivered upon. “Two of the four recommendations that we cannot accept are actually in part reserved matters, and so the Scottish Government will continue to work with the UK Government on these.”

Transport Scotland declined to add anything to the Scottish Government response.