PATRICK Harvie has accused the Scottish and UK governments of taking a “business as usual” approach to tackling the climate emergency.
The Scottish Greens co-leader claimed his party is the only one to recognise the emergency of the situation, and said the climate targets currently set out are not sufficient.
It comes after MSPs in September voted to back the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Bill, which commits Scotland to a 75% cut in emissions by 2030.
Harvie’s party had called for the target to be increased to 80%.
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He said: “The Scottish Greens are the only party that is taking the climate crisis seriously.
“The Scottish and UK governments both claim to recognise the urgency of the climate crisis, but their business as usual actions tell a different story.
“We are the only political party that recognises that we are in an emergency situation and has actually produced an emergency response.
“Far flung targets might be good enough for the Tories and the SNP, but Greens recognise that bold action is required now if we are to heed the warning of the climate strikers.”
Harvie was speaking as a report published by the New Economics Foundation suggested a transition to a zero-carbon economy would be a “major opportunity” to re-energise manufacturing in Scotland and create “thousands of well-paid, lasting, and unionised jobs”.
The Glasgow MSP also said a transition fund must be established to support workers to retrain.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Ensuring a just transition for communities and workers is central to our plans to tackle the global climate emergency.
“The Climate Change Act, which just recently received Royal Assent, includes a set of just transition principles which government must consider when setting out its plans to decarbonise the Scottish economy.”
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