Cost of net zero could ‘put pressure’ on Scottish budget

Reaching net zero could cost the Scottish Government an average of £700m a year until 2050 – with experts warning the higher level of public spending needed north of the border “could put pressure on the Scottish budget”.

New research from the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) looked at the fiscal implications of acting to try to tackle climate change in the period up to 2050.

Its chair Graeme Roy was clear that the cost of reducing emissions will have “significant effects on public finances”.

He spoke out as the SFC report found that public spending on mitigation in Scotland “is expected to total £21bn over the next 25 years”.

With the bulk of that spending expected to come from the Scottish Government, the report said that the “devolved additional public investment required could aver