Environmental groups yesterday gave a warm welcome to ambitious new targets to cut greenhouse gases, boost renewable energy production and make new buildings more ecologically friendly.
But this was mixed with anger at the £1bn annual expenditure on Scotland's roads outstripping investment in public transport - a fact which would make it difficult to achieve the aim of cutting greenhouse gasses by 80% by 2050, it was claimed.
There were also questions raised over the government's commitment to recycling, given an apparent £200m in funding cut over the next three years.
The green elements in the Budget included £126m for flood defences, £45m for new woodlands and £154m for a new "Zero Waste" fund over the next three years.
Finance Secretary John Swinney gave a commitment to supporting new marine energy and tripling funding for microgeneration and community renewables, which include home turbines and local biofuel projects, to £13.5m by 2011.
The Air Development Fund, intended to boost airlines' investment in new routes in and out of Scotland but scorned by environmentalists for subsidising the most ecologically unsound form of travel, will be wound down.
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