Scottish Greens: Only nine years left to avert climate breakdown
Other parties are sleepwalking Scotland to climate breakdown, the Scottish Greens have said.
2020 was one of the warmest years on record, and without further urgent action global warming is on track to rise by more than double the target agreed in the Paris agreement.
While the UK and Scotland have lowered emissions, largely down to the decline in coal, the hardest choices are still to come. Yet all other parties support the continued exploration for new oil and gas reserves, even though burning all known reserves would far exceed our commitments under the Paris agreement.
Commenting, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “With only nine years to go until the climate crisis becomes irreversible, this has to be the climate election. By the next election it will be too late to take the meaningful and radical action required to cut Scotland’s emissions, so we can play a leading role in global efforts to prevent catastrophic levels of global warming.
“The SNP are stuck in a repeating loop, setting eye-catching targets and missing them; sticking with their discredited climate plan while still supporting the fossil fuel industry. And of course, they are also united with Labour, the Tories and the LibDems on road and aviation expansion too. They are sleepwalking this country to disaster.
“Scotland can't afford to continue this complacency, and with just six months before the COP climate conference in Glasgow, it's time to get real. Only the Scottish Greens have the solutions to the climate crisis, and have announced green recovery investment plans that would slash emissions and create over 100,000 jobs.
“This cannot be fixed by the behaviour of individuals or left to market forces. We need state intervention to invest in renewable energy, integrated public transport, warm homes and restoring Scotland’s natural environment. We need to vote like our future depends on it, because it does.”