SCOTTISH GREENS ELECTION: low carbon economy central to Green manifesto - Labour and Lib Dem Executive humiliated by climate change report
02 April 2007
The Scottish Green Party will today (Tuesday 3rd April) launch itsmanifesto for the 2007 Holyrood election, and will centre on theemployment and quality of life opportunities a low carbon economyholds for Scotland.(1) The party will set out a vision of asustainable Scotland, driven by strong local economic networks andhigh-tech industries.
The Greens will argue Scotland is uniquely well-placed to make theshift to a low carbon economy. Our historic expertise in areas likeship-building and electronics will be vital, as will our extraordinarynatural assets: notably wind, wave and tidal energy.
Greens will pledge a £100m Climate Challenge Fund to supportimaginative community plans across the country, schemes designed tomake radical cuts in emissions and boost local jobs at the same time.
In contrast, the Labour and Libdem Executive has been humiliated by anindependent report which had been buried by Ministers for months. TheExecutive has finally just released it setting out exactly where itsown policies have failed over the last eight years - a so-called"Policy Gap Analysis". (2) The review was ready for publication lastyear, and the delay allowed Labour and the Libdems to avoid scrutinyin Parliament. However, the election campaign provides an idealopportunity for that scrutiny.
On the economic prospects, the report states that:
"The main gap in the current strategy is the lack of a structured andsystematic assessment of the potential for economic growth in areas oflow carbon technology." - Scottish Executive Policy Gap Analysis, p.5
Greens could not agree more. The report also states that the Executivehas a "relatively poor track record on implementing successful pilotprojects / demonstration projects for new technologies." - p.69 TheExecutive's 'green jobs' startegy is also criticised for lackingcoherence.
Again, Greens agree. This Executive has stifled innovation, andprovided only limited and intermittent support for green technologies.Greens believe their Climate Challenge Fund can help fill exactly thisgap in current Executive thinking, by demonstrating how low carbon,high employment, local economies can be built.
Speaking ahead of the manifesto launch in Edinburgh, Mark Ruskell, theGreens' Campaign Director, said:
"Scots know that the Greens are the only party that puts theenvironment first. What they may not realise is that moving to a lowcarbon economy is not just good for the planet, it's also good forjobs.
"We intend to campaign throughout the election on the massive economicopportunities that are ready to be taken across Scotland. We have ahistory of success in both heavy engineering and high tech industries,and both will have a crucial role to play, especially in thedevelopment of renewables.
"The costs are clear if the Executive sticks to its current policies -policies they themselves admit are inadequate. The other parties don'tget it. If you want a better Scotland, built on green jobs and theindustries of the future, you'll have to first vote Green on the 3rdof May."
ENDS
For further information call 07921 333 617 or 07909 933 074.Alternatively email press@scottishgreens.org.uk
Notes to editors
1. The manifesto photocall will be held outside Our Dynamic Earth,Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, at 9.30 am on Tuesday 3 April, and thelaunch event will follow at 10am. The manifesto will be availableonline from the party's website, and print copies are also availableon request.
2. The Executive report on their climate failure is available online here:www.scotland.gov.uk
The report highlights air travel as one of the major gaps in policy."Emissions are rising fast," it says. "There are currently nomechanisms governing the combustion of aviation fuels."
Road policies come under fire for failing to consider pollution. "Noneof the environmental impact considerations found on the TransportScotland website for major road developments mentioned greenhouse gasimplications."
The biggest policy gap identified is the failure to reduce pollutionfrom land use like farming and forestry, which make up a fifth ofScotland's emissions. This has been "largely overlooked", the reportsays, with only "very limited" measures applied.
On renewable energy and other low-carbon technologies, a "relativelypoor track record on implementing successful pilot projects".
The Executive has also suffered from a "lack of joined-up thinkingbetween government agencies and industrial sectors" and a "poorunderstanding of the specific technologies and areas where Scotlandcan develop real competitive advantage and international reputation."
Measures to support the use of wood to produce heat have been "weak".Efforts to save energy in homes are another gap, according to thereport. "The domestic sector has not engaged fully enough in thereduction of greenhouse gases through voluntary or mandatorymechanisms."
The Executive's "green jobs strategy" is also criticised "the lack ofa structured and systematic assessment of the potential for economicgrowth in areas of low carbon technology."
Go to www.scottishgreens.org.uk for more information about theScottish Green Party and the work of the Scottish Green MSPs.
