Transport decarbonisation to 2045 - update following receipt of Climate Change Committee (CCC) advice

Transport Scotland provided an update following the CCC’s recently published advice on Scotland’s new system of carbon budgets, covering the period from 2026 to 2045. On 19 June 2025, the Scottish Government laid regulations in Parliament that define carbon budgets covering the period 2026 to 2045. These budgets set legally binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions. If approved, they will amend the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to reflect the new carbon budgeting system up to 2045. The CCC’s recommended trajectory for transport decarbonisation relies mostly upon the electrification of vehicles, supported by modal shift from car and efficiency improvements in aviation and shipping.

The Climate Delivery Framework, jointly developed by COSLA, local authorities, and the Scottish Government provides foundations for coordinated action across all areas of climate change. In their discussion, the Board acknowledged that greater emphasis is needed on public transport investment, modal shift, and HGV decarbonisation. The transition to zero-emission HGVs is a significant challenge, largely due to the scale of existing fleets and the immaturity of the market. Board members expressed interest in engaging with Transport Scotland on solutions to support the transition, including engagement with the Cabinet Secretary to view local authorities large fleets of HGVs.

The Board discussed that further work is needed to ensure that climate change within the transport sector is tackled with the same urgency and commitment as other national priorities, such as child poverty. Scotland’s largest cities must lead the way in climate action, particularly on reducing car use. The Board discussed that focus should be on incentivisation rather than disincentivisation and transport planning needs to be more imaginative in enabling people to use cars for part of their journey and switch to other modes for longer distances. While Park & Ride schemes can sometimes increase car dependency, especially when located in areas that encourage longer car journeys before switching to public transport, they can still offer strategic value. Well-placed sites near the Glasgow boundary and in the north east, for example, can intercept commuter traffic and promote modal shift.

It was also acknowledged that there is clear evidence that Scotland is making progress on transport decarbonisation. Key initiatives include the inclusion of a freight grant in the 2025 budget, free bus travel scheme for under-22s, expanded rail services and ScotZeb.