Scotland ‘likely to miss net zero climate target by up to 20m tonnes’

Successive first ministers including John Swinney have described Scotland as a world leader on the climate and stated their ‘unwavering’ commitment to hit the country’s emissions target. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Scotland is likely to miss its legally binding climate target by up to 20m tonnes, according to official data seen by the Guardian.

The Scottish government set itself the world-leading target of reaching net zero – the point where any excess carbon emissions are soaked up by trees, peat or carbon capture – by 2045.