EDINBURGH, Scotland, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Scotland needs to find new ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions as it looks to its goals for the next decade, the country's environment minister said.
The Scottish government announced this week that greenhouse gas emissions fell 28.9 percent compared to 1990 levels. There was a 7 percent drop in 2009 compared to 2008.
The government has set a goal of reducing emissions by 42 percent compared with the 1990 benchmark by 2020.
Stewart Stevenson, Scottish minister for environment and climate change, said the latest figures indicate progress in all sectors toward a sustainable environmental future.
"As encouraging as these results are we must not be complacent about meeting our targets, as events like the recent severe winters may have an impact on our emissions in future years," he said.
"The challenge for Scotland therefore remains to find ever more innovative ways to drive down emissions while creating a more sustainable, low carbon economy for Scotland."
Edinburgh aims to get 100 percent of its electricity demand from renewable energy by 2020. The country used renewable energy to meet 27 percent of its demand in 2009.
