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

Exclusive: Top officials and climate policy experts believe delays in cutting emissions make it improbable 2045 target will be met

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.