Greens: Salmond
Thu., June 18, 2009. 19:46.
Scottish Greens today condemned Alex Salmond's response to questions from Labour leader Iain Gray about the Climate Change Bill as inadequate and partisan.
The First Minister has made his decision, Greens argue, not to use the significant powers the Scottish Parliament already has in this area. Greens have also today lodged an amendment to improve the interim 2020 target for carbon reductions by increasing it from 34% to 50%.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"The First Minister today claimed he could do little about climate change until Scotland achieves independence, yet he still wants us to believe that his half-hearted climate change bill is world leading. Instead of acting on the environment, he'd rather pick a fight over the constitution.
"We don't need independence to stop expanding motorways and airports, nor to move from coal to renewables, nor to cut household energy bills by insulating every home in Scotland. Alex Salmond knows this, yet he pretends it's "all London's fault", as always. Whatever the question he's asked, the nationalist blinkers come down and he rails against London rule. He needs to use the powers available already to build a sustainable Scotland, or he needs to get out of the way and let someone else do it.
"Labour's late conversion to tougher targets is better than nothing, but sadly both parties are basing their figures on outdated science. On this specific question, though, Labour is right: Scotland can clearly achieve at least a 40% reduction in our emissions by 2020 with the powers Holyrood already has.
"Parliament clearly needs to drag the SNP kicking and screaming toward a stronger position, and there's still a lot of work to do if the Bill is going to be meaningful and effective. We have therefore today lodged an amendment to bring the interim target up to 50% by 2020, and we will work with the campaign groups and others over the next week to transform this inadequate legislation into something Scotland can be properly proud of."
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.