Cole-Hamilton challenges Yousaf on SNP Government’s climate record

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon during First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“Yesterday, the Committee on Climate Change delivered a devastating verdict about the record of the Scottish Government.

“The key 2030 emissions target just won't be met. 

“The government is off course by a country mile on heat pumps, electric vehicles, recycling and more.

“And its Chair, Chris Stark, said yesterday the “strategy is just not there”.

“Take tree planting, they say Scotland needs to do twice as much, but the government has just reduced spending on that by nearly half. It’s going to put people out of work and tree nurseries have already signalled they will have to torch hundreds of thousands of saplings because of the cuts.

“To think the Environment Secretary once boasted that global leaders were looking to her government for advice. Well, her phone is silent now.

“So, can I ask the First Minister, where are the Green Party in all of this? Fewer bus and train services, going nowhere on renewable heating, a botched deposit return scheme - doesn’t he recognise that bringing them into government has done precious little to help us combat the climate emergency?”