SNP ignore climate crisis with lacklustre action plan
The Scottish Government’s Draft Climate Change Plan 2025 is a long and disappointing document that fails to live up to the scale of the climate crisis, say the Scottish Greens.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
“This is a long document that uses a lot of words to say very little. It is a missed opportunity and damp squib at a time when we need ambition and courage. Our expectations were low, and this still falls short. This government has opted for business as usual at a time when our planet is on fire.
“They have filleted the plan for clean, affordable heating, which the Greens had championed in Government.,They’re now proposing a target with no mechanism, which has been tried and failed many times before on many different issues. They have shelved their energy plan and are incapable of giving a clear answer on new fossil fuel drilling. They have scrapped their road traffic reduction targets, and replaced them with nothing. This plan will change none of that.
“This should have been a turning point, but instead this government is going backwards and refusing to take the bold actions it knows are necessary. Scotland has a huge green potential but the SNPare failing to match it.
“We know what we have to do, and we can’t keep putting it off. We need to finally stop building new roads and new fossil fuel power stations, help people switch to clean, affordable heating in our homes and public buildings, and put our environment at the top of our agenda.
“This plan should have included big steps to invest in nature, slash the cost of public transport, make it cheaper and greener to heat our homes and buildings and support farmers and businesses to make the transition.
“Even at this late hour, I hope that this government can finally live up to the urgency of the crisis we are in and that they will build on this and deliver the climate action that Scotland badly needs.”