THIS time last year, Humza Yousaf was sworn in as First Minister of Scotland.

The challenges that Scotland faced in spring last year dominated his election campaign: public sector funding, the cost of living and climate crisis.

In his first speech he spoke of the need for change, defining his premiership with three words: equality, opportunity, community.

As we reach the one-year anniversary of Yousaf’s time as First Minister, let's take stock. A year on, is Scotland any further forward in tackling the cost of living crisis, the underfunding of our public services, and the climate emergency? Has Yousaf delivered the change he promised?

The past year has seen a disappointing number of transformative policies fall by the wayside when push comes to shove.

The highly protected marine areas proposal and the deposit return scheme were both supposed to showcase the SNP as climate leaders, making transformative changes to our society and developing solutions to our climate crisis.

But despite both policies being implemented successfully in countries across Europe, the SNP have bowed to pressure and scrapped any transformative policies before they even got started.

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It’s vital for Scotland that we see a just transition away from fossil fuels – one that not only meets the scale of the climate crisis, but shares the benefits equally among our communities.

But a year into Yousaf’s leadership, we are still waiting to see what form the energy transition strategy will take.

Communities across Scotland are beginning to worry that the strategy will give public money to private corporations who care more about profits than they do about the communities on the frontlines of the just transition.

The SNP’s failure to secure careers for workers at Grangemouth, set to close down, and the lack of action to protect the wider community, is shameful.

Any just transition must provide jobs and careers to those working in the oil and gas industry.

Providing training, skills passports, and opportunities through investment are essential if we want to protect these communities from a fate similar to those of the miners in the 1980s.

READ MORE: Scottish renewable electricity capacity grew 10 per cent in 2023

As time runs out for the planet and for communities reliant on the oil and gas industry, we need to see action from Yousaf and his cabinet which meets the scale of the challenges we face.

At Green New Deal Rising, we’re mobilising young people across Scotland and the rest of the UK to hold politicians’ feet to the fire, demanding the changes we need to secure our future.

From Glasgow to Gateshead, Edinburgh to Exeter, we’re building a movement across the country that can stand as a counterweight to the lobbying power of the oil and gas corporations.

As we look ahead to the next twelve months, we expect to see ever bigger promises from politicians gearing up for a General Election.

But Scotland doesn't need more promises – we just need them to be kept.

It’s time for less talk and more action from Humza Yousaf and his government in the next year.

There has to be bolder, more radical policy that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in Scotland – with the SNP committing to a green new deal as part of the energy transition strategy and just transition plan.

A Green New Deal would mean large-scale investment to guarantee green jobs for all; fixing our economy so it works for all of us, not just a few at the top; a massive programme of home insulation to lower bills and emissions at the same time.

Scotland deserves nothing less than this kind of transformative policy – and in the months to come, Green New Deal Rising will be at the forefront of the movement demanding it.