Programme for Government: Ministers ‘refusing to learn from climate mistakes’

Climate campaigners have criticised the lack of climate action in the latest Scottish Programme for Government for 2024/2025 saying that Ministers are “refusing to learn from their own mistakes” when it comes to climate action.

Despite the climate failures exposed during the last year leading to the decision to scrap the critical 2030 climate target, the Scottish Government has brought forward no new meaningful action to bring down climate-changing pollution.

In fact, the Scottish Government will bring forward a Bill to scrap annual climate targets including the critical 2030 goal and move to a 5 year carbon budgets approach.

The criticism from environmentalists comes on top of the swingeing cuts announced or confirmed yesterday to green measures that could have improved lives.

Cuts to environmental programmes:

• Scrapping plans to spend the £460 million raised by offshore wind on climate programmes
• Scrapping free bus travel for asylum seekers and increasing train fares by re-introducing peak fares
• £5 million cut from nature restoration funding for local councils and allowing councils to divert money away from climate adaptation and nature restoration

Friends of the Earth Scotland climate and energy campaigner Caroline Rance commented,

“There is next to nothing in this programme that shows the Scottish Government is serious about getting back on track on climate or supporting people in the transition away from fossil fuels.

“This is a desperately weak approach to climate action and SNP Ministers are clearly refusing to learn from their own mistakes. Since the abject climate failure which ultimately cost the previous First Minister his job, John Swinney has gone further into reverse, rolling back on oil and gas, hiking the cost of trains and slashing funding for environmental schemes.

“Action to tackle climate change is popular, necessary and would improve people’s lives – bringing down electricity bills, improving public transport while cutting air pollution, creating decent new jobs and a healthier society. The Scottish Government is choosing to make climate cutbacks instead of these positive investments which it could fund through raising taxes on the highest earners and polluters.”
ENDS