Greens accuse rivals of 'sleepwalking' to climate disaster

THE Scottish Greens have accused their political rivals of “sleepwalking this country to disaster”.

Speaking ahead of the first televised debate of the campaign, the party’s co-leader, Patrick Harvie, has said difficult choices need to be made to prevent global warming rising by more than double the target agreed in the Paris agreement.

He said the world would be watching Glasgow in November as the UN’s COP26 conference comes to the city.

Harvie hit out at the SNP, Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats for their support for drilling for new oil and gas reserves in the North Sea.

Earlier this month, the UK Government shelved proposals to ban new exploration licences.

Instead, the licenses will only be granted if they don’t undermine the UK’s climate goals.

The unwillingness to bring in a full ban led to criticism from environmental campaigners. Greenpeace called it a “colossal failure.”

However, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said such a move would have cost “jobs, livelihoods and living standards” in the north-east.

Speaking on the campaign  trail today, 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.”