21 May 2025

WWF Comment

For immediate release

Climate Change Committee advice to the Scottish Government - WWF Scotland comment

Responding to the latest advice from the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) [1], Claire Daly, Head of Policy and Advocacy at WWF Scotland said:

“Today’s advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to the Scottish Government should be a light-bulb moment that it needs to take action, and it needs to take it now. The switch to heat pumps and improved support for nature-friendly farming practices are not new ideas, but over recent times we’ve failed to see the ambition and momentum needed in both sectors, making the job of decarbonising our economy all the harder and delaying the benefits for people.

“We hope the Scottish Government takes heed and significantly improves its plans for the Heat in Buildings Bill and quickly and fully takes the steps it has promised on helping nature recover while supporting farmers and crofters to make our land more resilient while continuing to grow food.”

On Heat, Ms Daly added:

“The advice from the CCC makes it clear that the Scottish Government needs to re-think its strategy for the Heat in Buildings Bill. While the ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2045 remains, progress on decarbonising our homes is falling dangerously short meaning Scotland risks missing its first carbon budget and locking households into higher bills and draughty homes.

Without bold leadership and investment, the benefits of warmer homes and lower bills will remain out of reach for too many. We need a credible plan for phasing out fossil fuel heating, with clear triggers and funding in place to deliver at scale. A strong Heat in Buildings Bill has potential to do just that.”

On agriculture Ms Daly said:

“The Scottish Government knows what it needs to do to reduce emissions in our agriculture sector but is failing farmers and crofters by not moving quickly enough to create a farming system fit for the future.

“The CCC is right that the Scottish Government needs to give farmers long-term certainty on public funding to enable a shift to nature-friendly methods. We need our land to be more resilient to our changing climate, such as the recent spell of unusually dry weather, and support food production now and in the future. This can only be achieved by supporting farmers to introduce practices that reduce emissions and restore nature, including reducing the use of chemicals, integrating trees on farm, and improving soil health.”

Notes to Editors

[1] UK CCC press release

https://www.theccc.org.uk/2025/05/21/electric-technologies-will-help-scotland-decarbonise/

[2] Affordable Warmth – WWF Scotland report

https://www.wwf.org.uk/our-reports/wwf-affordable-warmth-scotland

[3] The Impact of Extreme Weather on Scottish Agriculture

The impact of extreme weather events on Scottish agriculture (wwf.org.uk)