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SNP told to take action decarbonising Scotland, not offer ‘more targets’

THE SNP has been urged to take action, not offer “more targets” after Nicola Sturgeon unveiled her party’s plans to “decarbonise” Scotland. 

Scotland’s governing party outlined its environmental plans today ahead of May’s Holyrood elections.

The policy includes targets to cut car usage by 20 per cent and a £500 million investment to improve bus infrastructure and tackle congestion. 

Under another SNP government, there would also be an ambition to decarbonise Scotland’s railways, with ScotRail coming into public hands from next year. 

Also announced were plans to decarbonise the heating of a million homes by 2030, the development of Scotland’s hydrogen sector and an increase in woodland creation targets.

Ms Sturgeon cited existing plans introduced which she claims are the most ambitious legal framework for emissions reduction in the world, bringing Scotland to net-zero by 2045. 

The First Minister said that by voting SNP in May, “the people of Scotland can elect a government which is absolutely committed to tackling the climate emergency.”

But others have questioned the party’s commitment to environmental and systemic change, claiming 2045 is too late to be achieving net-zero. 

Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: “We have only nine years left before the science tells us we reach a point of no return with the climate crisis, and all the SNP are offering is more targets and a reliance on the fossil fuel lobby’s hydrogen technology that is not yet fully developed. 

“Only the Scottish Greens have the immediate solutions using the technology we already have to cut Scotland’s emissions, create 100,000 jobs and secure our future.”

Scottish Labour also hit out at the SNP, claiming that none of the policies announced on Friday are new. 

The party’s environment spokesperson Sarah Boyack said that Scotland deserves better than “reheated ideas from a tired, distracted SNP.”

She said: “The focus of our next parliament must be on averting the climate emergency, not being dragged back to the old arguments.”

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