Tories have “contempt for scientific evidence”
The Conservative Party's denial of the climate emergency puts their own short-term political agenda ahead of our environment, says Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie.
The Conservative acting shadow secretary for energy, Andrew Bowie, told the Guardian that he believed the UK's net-zero by 2050 target was “not based on science”, and accused globally respected climate scientists of being “biased”.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which houses the world's leading climate scientists, has previously issued “a dire warning about the consequences of inaction” and called for faster action to reduce climate emissions.
Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP said:
“We all know that many Tories have “had enough of experts”, but their contempt for scientific evidence is now profoundly dangerous.
“The climate crisis is the single greatest threat to future generations, and we don't have time to waste listening to failed Tory ministers, singing from Trump’s songbook.
“Scientists from right around the world have warned of the need for urgent action to cut our greenhouse gas emissions or we risk facing the full force of climate breakdown. These targets on their own won’t do that; they need to be backed up with action, which Tories, SNP and Labour have failed to do.
“Governments and polluters have had knowledge of their climate-wrecking behaviour for decades and since then have chosen to protect corporate profits rather than our common future.
“Scotland has a crucial role to play in tackling the climate emergency. We have the knowledge, skills, and resources for a green industrial revolution, to create jobs and build a fairer society, but we need real ambition from the government to make that happen.
“Labour and the Tories have failed to deliver, and the SNP are slowing down climate action when they should be speeding up. We need real change for Scotland, and only the Scottish Greens are ready to deliver.”