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THE government in Westminster has been accused of “greenwashing” over its selection of corporate sponsors for next year’s crucial UN climate summit.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma announced today that energy company SSE will be one of the main sponsors of the COP26, set to take place in Glasgow in November 2021.
The government, which will host the talks, has been slated by environmental campaigners for the inclusion of the company despite their continued expansion of fossil fuel plants.
An investigation by the Ferret found that SSE’s gas station in Peterhead was Scotland’s biggest polluter in 2019.
Other sponsors announced include the Natwest Group, National Grid and Scottish Power.
Mim Black of Extinction Rebellion Scotland described SSE as “one of the top polluters in Scotland” and added: “It’s completely unacceptable for these corporations to be sponsoring the summit, but it’s not surprising.
“The COP26 is being treated as an opportunity for the government and polluting businesses to greenwash themselves, and make it look like they’re doing a good job when actually they‘re not.”
With the conference set to take place in Glasgow, local campaigners echoed their disappointment.
Scott Tully of the Glasgow Calls Out Polluters campaign said that it was “incredible that SSE are sponsoring COP26.”
He added: “They have been granted the stage to pretend that they are at the forefront of solving the climate crisis, when in fact they own Scotland’s biggest polluting plant and are expanding fossil fuel production in the UK.”
“It is nowhere near good enough and speaks towards how much politicians in Scotland and the UK have pandered towards this polluting company. They should not be sponsoring COP26.”
The Scottish Greens also criticised the decision, with co-leader Patrick Harvie saying that the inclusion of corporate sponsors such as SSE was a “reminder of the UK and Scottish governments’ collective failure to secure the jobs that should go hand-in-hand with a green recovery.”
He said: “It’s telling that the biggest announcements on COP26 are about the corporate sponsors rather than any meaningful action the UK needs to take to go into these talks with heads held high.”
An SSE spokesman did not address the controversy, telling the Star: “As the eyes of the world fall on Glasgow for COP26, we’re proud to partner with the UK government to play our part in delivering a net-zero future.”
