Greens rally to extend fracking ban
Scottish Green Party members have voted unanimously for a permanent ban on fracking and appealed to the Scottish Government to include a statement to that effect in the country’s National Planning Framework.
During an impassioned speech, Mark Ruskell MSP, the Scottish Greens’ environment spokesperson, said that party members could be proud of their partial victory in extending the pause and reminded delegates that Greens have “opposed fracking from the start” and will always do so.
The party is meeting at Edinburgh Napier University for its autumn conference.
Ruskell, a Mid Scotland and Fife MSP said:
“Three years ago Green MSPs pushed a fracking ban to the vote at Holyrood and it was defeated. Since then the voices of communities, scientists and the whole green movement have been heard loud and clear and next week we have a second historic opportunity to vote for a fracking ban.
“The Scottish Government’s intention to ban fracking is sincere, but it must use the powers Holyrood has today and the powers that are coming soon to shut the gate on fracking forever. The ban is almost in place but to get it over the line government must place it on the same basis as the ban on new nuclear power.
“The current moratorium is legally shaky and was only ever designed to be a temporary measure, we need the security of a watertight ban, at this point it may not need new legislation, but it does need a commitment to use the full powers over planning and licensing.”