First Minister must publish A96 climate test report without delay
The Scottish Government must publish the overdue climate test report for dualling the A96, says Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater.
In a question to the First Minister and First Minister’s Questions, Ms Slater warned that if the review, which was ordered in 2021, shows that the project would increase emissions, the money must be invested into safety improvements and better public transport for communities who live along the route.
Ms Slater said that responding to the climate emergency was at the core of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government, warning that the end of the deal meant that “climate action is now under threat.”
Speaking at FMQs, Ms Slater said: “One of the policies contained in the Bute House Agreement was to conduct a climate compatibility assessment of the proposed dualling of the A96. That assessment is now long overdue.
“Achieving our climate goals means drastically driving down car use. The Infrastructure Commission for Scotland, the Climate Change Committee and Transform Scotland have all said new road building to increase capacity is not compatible with the drive to net zero.
“So can I ask the First Minister, when will his Government publish the climate compatibility assessment for the A96? And when it inevitably says we cannot afford - for the sake of future generations - to dual that road in full, will he commit to investing the money earmarked for this project into safety improvements and better public transport for communities who live along the route?”
