Scotland close to meeting green targets

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EDINBURGH, Scotland, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Scotland is halfway to its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent, the Scottish environment minister said.

Scotland has one of the more ambitious renewable energy plans in Europe, aiming to generate 100 percent of its electricity needs through low-carbon projects by 2020.

Scottish Minister for Environment and Climate Change Paul Wheelhouse said the government was working to ensure its energy ambitions are realized fully.

"Scotland has world-leading climate change legislation and we are half way to meeting our target of a 42 percent cut in emissions by 2020," he said in a statement.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said last month Scotland wanted to meet half of its electricity demands through renewable energy resources by 2015.

Wheelhouse said he would carry Scotland's renewable energy agenda to Qatar, where world leaders convene for the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.

He said that he'd press for a global mandate to curb emissions and global temperature increases.

"I want to see more action and higher levels of ambition across the world and I hope that other countries will be encouraged to match Scotland's level of ambition," Wheelhouse said.