THE climate crisis has turned into a political crisis for the SNP-Green Scottish government after it made the “the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament.”

SNP net zero secretary Mairi McAllan has announced that the government would drop its key goal of reducing carbon emissions by 75 per cent by 2030.

The move comes just weeks after the statutory climate change committee slammed the Scottish government for missing almost all its climate change targets and branded those remaining as “beyond credible.”

Ms McAllan insisted that the 2045 net-zero target would remain, but this did little to placate climate campaigners.

Friends of the Earth Scotland branded the decision “the worst environmental decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament,” while Oxfam Scotland slammed the move as “reprehensible retreat caused by its recklessly inadequate level of action.”

The accusations of inaction to back what the Scottish government termed “world-leading” climate change targets were also echoed in the trade union movement.

Rail union Aslef’s Kevin Lindsay said: “I’m afraid this news confirms what we already knew.

“If Scotland and the Scottish government is to recover from this week’s humiliating climbdown and fulfil our obligations to cut CO2 emissions they must invest more in rail and rail infrastructure and actively encourage a shift from road to rail.

“There is no time to waste.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Government ministers need a reality check. 

“The fact is you can’t meet emissions targets unless there is a coherent energy strategy in place and government ministers at Holyrood and Westminster have abysmally failed to deliver that.”

Challenges to the credibility of the SNP-Green Scottish government in the wake of the decision has also caused division within its ranks.

Disquiet in the Scottish Greens on their Bute House coalition agreement with the SNP continues to grow, with one Edinburgh councillor, Chas Booth, writing to his party’s executive demanding an emergency meeting “as soon as reasonably possible to consider withdrawing from the Bute House Agreement.”

Despite Ms McAllan’s announcement attracting widespread derision and putting the future of the coalition in which she serves to its greatest test yet, she said: “I am not embarrassed.”