SCOTTISH Tory leader Douglas Ross has called for more business involvement in efforts to tackle climate change.
Ross argued that business has a “key role” to play in tackling the climate emergency, and he accused other parties of ignoring the sector in their environmental policies.
Announcing a “green growth manifesto”, Ross said the Scottish Tories are pledging an investment of £2.5 billion during the next parliament to make homes and businesses more energy-efficient.
Speaking in South Queensferry before campaigning was suspended yesterday, Ross said: “We shouldn’t exclude business and I think that’s a mistake the other parties are making .. ignoring the involvement of business because that can play a key role in our green recovery, it can tackle the climate emergency, while also providing tens of thousands of jobs here in Scotland, which is exactly what we should be looking to do.
“We’d add in support for property owners to do that because it’s wrong that they should face all the burden of the cost of making their properties more energy-efficient, and we also want to see more done to transition the North Sea from oil and gas into more renewable energies.
“But crucially today, our plans are also focused on involving business, because the SNP are also discussing their green recovery plans today but they don’t mention business.
“I think it’s absolutely crucial that we do involve business because our recovery of tackling the climate challenge is also one that can provide tens of thousands of green recovery jobs across Scotland.”
Last month, the UK Government announced a deal worth £16bn to allow oil drillers to keep exploring the North Sea for new reserves if they pass a “climate compatibility” test.
After environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg said she will not attend the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow because of “extremely inequitable vaccine distribution”, Ross dismissed calls for the conference to be postponed for another year.
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