Climate emergency 'is the most pressing issue' of general election, Greens say at campaign launch

The Scottish Greens will launch their general election campaign today, with the party saying the climate emergency is “the most pressing issue” of the election.

With the IPCC warning the world has 11 years to take the action required to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, the Scottish Greens will use their launch in South Queensferry to underline that the next UK Government will preside over half of the remaining years before the UN’s climate deadline.

Co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie will highlight their Green New Deal programme, which they say  will “transform Scotland’s economy and address the urgency of the climate emergency”.

While the UK Green party has entered into an electoral pact with pro-Remain parties in constituencies in England and Wales, the Scottish Greens have rejected such an election strategy, saying that “none of the other parties have recognised this urgency”.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Harvie said: “There has never been a more important general election. MPs elected next month will preside over half the period we have left to address the climate emergency, yet all the establishment parties have yet to commit to the urgent action required.

“The loudest and clearest way to demand climate action is to vote Scottish Greens on December 12.”

Slater added: “Our Scottish Green New Deal has already proposed what the Scottish Parliament must be doing now to tackle the climate emergency, but Westminster, too, must step up to the plate.

“A Scottish Green New Deal would be so much easier with the levers over fiscal, economic and monetary policy, air transport, electricity, energy efficiency, registration of land and to transition away from oil and gas, coal, nuclear energy. That’s why we need to push MPs of all parties as hard as we can.”