Climate Bill 'Being Set Up to Fail'
Tue., June 23, 2009. 20:06.
Cautious welcome to latest amendment
Greens today cautiously welcomed the amendment late last night from Scottish Ministers to increase the interim 2020 target for emissions reductions to 42%. (1) This represents a significant improvement on the 34% originally proposed by the SNP, but still falls short of the 50% reduction that the up-to-date scientific evidence requires and which Greens insist should be introduced. A Green amendment for a 50% target will also be debated tomorrow.
However, the letter sent this morning by the Minister to Patrick Harvie MSP as Convenor of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee reveals the SNP's true intentions: to use Labour's loopholes to revert to 34% as soon as the Bill passes. (2)
Labour's amendment, which the SNP are seeking to use as the basis for their last minute change, would allow Ministers to use advice from the UK Climate Change Committee to justify a lower target, perhaps even lower than 34%.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"Both Labour and the SNP voted against a 42% target in committee, so the fact that they're now talking about anything in this range is clearly thanks to the thousands of environmental campaigners who've been putting the pressure on.
"Before it's even passed, though, the SNP have told us how they plan to undermine their own targets. Labour's loophole means Ministers can just wave a letter saying how much hard work it all is, then ask Parliament to lower the targets again. If Labour want to take climate change seriously then our challenge to them, and to the other parties, is to commit to the higher target, no ifs, no buts, no maybes.
"The SNP seem determined to turn this into yet another fight with London, and it'll require constant vigilance by MSPs from all parties not to let Ministers off the hook. It'll also take serious cooperation across the Chamber to agree the kind of policy changes which will be needed.
"Very clearly Scotland can achieve 42% reductions in emissions - in fact the science demands something more like 50%. If we're going to get even close, both Labour and the SNP will need to ditch their petrol-head transport policies, back renewables instead of new coal power stations, and urgently invest in energy efficiency. Without these real policy changes, this legislation is simply being set up to fail."
Notes
1. The Scottish Government's amendment is here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/businessBulletin/bb-09/bb-06-23g.htm
2. PDF copies of the letter are available on request.
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.