Scottish Lib Dems will fight climate crisis "tooth and nail" amid SNP's failures

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today said that his party will fight the climate crisis "tooth and nail" by driving down emissions, making homes warmer and creating a wealth of green jobs, as he accused the SNP of making “abysmal” progress on meeting Scotland’s climate targets.  

New figures published today reveal that the SNP Government has missed its legally binding target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions dropped by just 0.1% in 2022. This is the ninth time that the SNP have missed this target.

During a visit to a wetlands project in Glasgow, Alex Cole-Hamilton discussed Liberal Democrat plans to ensure the whole UK reaches net zero by 2045, cut bills and create green jobs.

Scottish Liberal Democrat plans would:

• Make homes warmer and cheaper to heat with a ten-year emergency upgrade programme starting with free insulation and heat pumps for those on low incomes;
• Drive a rooftop solar revolution by expanding incentives for households to install solar panels;
• Invest in renewable power so that 90% of the UK’s electricity is generated from renewables by 2030;
• Make it cheaper and easier for drivers to switch to electric vehicles by rapidly rolling out far more charging points, reintroducing the plug-in car grant, and restoring the requirement that every new car and small van sold from 2030 is zero-emission;
• Return international development spending to 0.7% of national income, with tackling climate change a key priority for development spending.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“The SNP have missed our national climate change targets year after year.

“SNP ministers have pumped out press releases but failed to do the hard graft of insulating homes, making transport cleaner or creating green jobs.  As a result, today's figures show Scotland made no progress in reducing emissions in 2022.These targets cover the first full year that the Greens were in office, providing further evidence that they are all talk when it comes to the climate.  

“Their inaction has been matched only by the Conservative Government’s total failure to act with anything close to the speed or ambition these challenges demand.

“Warm words simply don't cut it. That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats would launch a national insulation programme to support households in the transition to net zero and reduce bills for everyone. We would step up investment in renewables, make it cheaper and easier for drivers to switch to electric vehicles and restore the UK’s role as a global leader on climate change.

“My party will fight the climate crisis tooth and nail. We will deliver the bold, urgent action needed to drive down emissions, cut energy bills and create hundreds of thousands of well-paid green jobs.”