Climate Change Minister Aileen McLeod put on a brave face as Scotland missed its fourth annual target to reduce greenhouse gases.
She said Scotland was “on track” to meet the 2020 target, a claim dismissed as “laughable” by the Liberal Democrats.
Environmental campaigners called for action after figures show an estimated 53million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) was produced in 2013, down 3.6% on 2012.
The total was 38.4% down on the 1990 baseline but still above the 2013 target of 47.976 MtCO2e.
The Scottish Government said since the fixed annual targets were set, the baseline has been revised upwards due to technical changes in the way carbon emissions are measured.
In an attempt to restore the government’s green credential, Ms McLeod unveiled a package of measures covering transport, environment and energy.
The cornerstone was to make domestic and non-domestic buildings more energy efficient. Other elements included £3million for peatland restoration, action to divert food waste from landfill, and the relaunch of a policy to tackle the school run.
Ms McLeod said Scotland was “on track to meet our ambitious emissions targets” of a 42% reduction by 2020.
“Today’s figures show that if it had not been for successive increases in the baseline since the targets were established, Scotland would have met, and exceeded, our target for this year, and the three previous years too,” she said.
Her assertion on Scotland’s progress was derided buy opposition politicians while environmental groups called it disappointing.
Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Hume said: “This is the fourth year in a row that the SNP have failed to deliver on their environmental promises. For ministers to claim that our carbon reduction work is on track is laughable. The SNP are running out of excuses. These targets were made in Scotland and the Scottish Government have no-one to blame but themselves.”
Conservative environment spokesman Jamie McGrigor said: “This just goes to show that despite all the glossy climate change adverts, the Scottish Government are just not stepping up to the mark.”