A lack of action by the Scottish Government is undermining its world-leading climate change targets, campaigners claim.
Environmentalists are protesting outside the Scottish Parliament days after it emerged that the Government has failed to achieve its first legally binding emissions target.
The first Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions Annual Target Report states that Scotland emitted 54.7 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2010, 1.1 megatons above the target set by the Climate Change Act 2009.
Despite this, Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said that he is confident that future targets will be met.
Tom Ballantine, chairman of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland campaign, hit out at First Minister Alex Salmond and his administration on the issue.
"The First Minister is quick to champion Scotland's climate change legislation and hold it up as a world-leading example. However, this failure to meet the first target set by the Scottish Climate Change Act demonstrates a lack of action which threatens to undermine it," he said.
"This isn't good enough. The thousands of Scots who campaigned for and celebrated this legislation are now extremely worried that unless the Government takes seriously the need to tackle climate change, through urgent action to reduce emissions, then Scotland really isn't leading the way at all.
During a statement to MSPs on Tuesday Mr Wheelhouse said "exceptional cold snaps" were a major factor in the target being missed.
He told Holyrood's Environment Committee: "I remain confident that we are on the right trajectory to meet the climate change targets. We are reliant on some external decisions. We are pushing with the UK Government for a 30% target for climate change gas reductions at European level. Within our own portfolio, I am confident we are doing the right thing. Ideally, if we had more money we could achieve things faster, but we are on the right path."
