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Scottish Government ministers have delayed introducing a major assessment exercise intended to monitor the environmental impact of key transport policies and help cut emissions.
The Herald has learned that the Carbon Balance Sheet, which will assess emissions caused by all major transport projects and programmes over the last five years and was due to be published by 2008, is now not expected to be ready until the end of 2010.
The revelation has sparked an angry response from environmental groups and opposition MSPs, who accused the government of deferring its commitment to cut greenhouse gasses in the short to medium term.
The policy tool was originally proposed by the previous Labour-led administration and was intended to provide the government with a detailed analysis of the carbon “cost” of its transport spending decisions, which would help ensure compliance with emissions targets.
In an answer to a parliamentary questioned tabled by Labour transport spokesman Des McNulty in August 2007, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said a “first version” of the CBS would be published during 2008.
However, a spokesman for the Scottish Government conceded it was now being developed to tie in with broader plans for “carbon accounting” across all departments. Both were due to be implemented by November 2010.
Patrick Harvie, the Green MSP and convenor of Holyrood’s transport committee, rounded on the Scottish Government, saying: “It’s no wonder neither this government nor their predecessors have had the courage to deliver a carbon balance sheet for transport. They know what it would show: their more of everything’ approach, especially to motorways and airport expansion, is failing to deliver anything like a sustainable low-carbon transport strategy.”
There is particular concern among climate change experts over transport, which is responsible for 25% of emissions in Scotland. According to government forecasts, growth in road traffic is likely to produce a 10% increase in carbon output between 2005 and 2010.
Ministers have committed to a target of reducing greenhouse gasses by at least 80% by 2050 in the forthcoming Climate Change Bill, but they have faced accusations that they are not prepared to implement action before the 2019 timeframe provided in the act.
Mr McNulty said the SNP had “failed to face up to the need to get emissions down now”. He added: “The (Climate Change) bill is only a set of principles and targets. What we have been concerned about is the fact that the action needed now to limit emissions is not being put in place, therefore we’re missing a vital part of the equation.
“We needed the strategy in place for bringing down emissions 18 months ago.”
Dan Barlow, head of policy at environmental lobby group WWF Scotland, questioned whether major projects such as the new Forth Road road crossing and M74 extension had been properly assessed in terms of their carbon imprint. “The Scottish Government’s transport policy is still completely at odds with its climate policy,” he said.