NICOLA Sturgeon has said that Rishi Sunak is “deeply unserious” about tackling climate change after the PM announced he would grant 100 new North Sea oil and gas licences.
Sunak pledged to “max out” the UK’s oil and gas reserves – a move which was met with dismay from climate campaigners.
On Tuesday, climate activists from This is Rigged sprayed the Scottish Parliament building with red paint in protest at the decision and at the Scottish Government’s “deafening silence”.
In her latest column for the Glasgow Times, former first minister Sturgeon (below) said there needs to be “a strong political consensus” around climate change.
Sturgeon said: “Pushback against measures like the Low Emission Zones in Glasgow and London and the Deposit Return Scheme – initiatives already operating successfully in many other countries – is bad enough.
“But Rishi Sunak posing in Margaret Thatcher’s old Rover promising to scrap measures designed to encourage people into lower emission cars and greener forms of travel shows him to be deeply unserious.
READ MORE: 'Scared' Alister Jack HIDES from media on trip to Glasgow
“And the Tory promise to ‘max out’ North Sea oil and gas is the most lamentable leadership failure of all.
“It undermines efforts to tackle climate change. And it is also a dereliction of our duty towards the north east and those who work in the sector and its supply chain.”
Sturgeon said that although she was not arguing for North Sea oil and gas “taps” to be switched off, she did not believe more should be turned on.
She said that “new exploration risks slowing down a just transition to renewables”.
We previously told how the Tories have been branded the “political wing of the fossil fuel industry” as figures showed that ministers met with energy firms 53 times in three months.
The National also revealed how the Conservatives have received millions of pounds in donations from climate deniers and those with interests in the fossil fuel industry.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel