Climate Committee "Must Not Subvert Will of Parliament"
Green MSP Media Release
The advice to Scottish Ministers published today by the UK Climate Change Committee was rejected by the Scottish Green Party as a flawed and misguided effort which risks undermining the 42% climate target approved by the Scottish Parliament last year.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"Parliament was unanimous last year - Scotland needs to make significant emissions reductions by 2020, both so we can meet our international obligations and start to see the benefits of a low carbon economy. The UK Climate Change Committee is there to advise on how to do it, not to unpick the clear democratic decision which Parliament reached. It now seems to be on the verge of encouraging the Scottish Government to backtrack on its commitments, and has made the absurd argument that Ministers are not responsible for emissions from energy generation.
"Their advice to wait for international action will be read by many as an attempt to subvert the will of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people, and Ministers must not use this paper as an excuse for a cop-out. Wider global action is vital, of course, but it will be made less likely, not more, if countries like Scotland start to falter. Greens will work with the tens of thousands of people who campaigned for this legislation in order to oppose any attempt to weaken it.
"The Committee is right to point out the need for a step change in Scottish Government policy - we have been saying so for years. Ministers could choose to block new coal-fired power stations rather than forcing them through. They could use the planning system to influence other parts of the economy. Above all, Scottish Ministers must now reverse the worst of their transport policies, which show no underst