Scottish Government Debate: Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change

Gillian Martin S7M-00434 Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change—That the Parliament recognises that climate change constitutes an emergency; supports the goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius; notes the consequences of climate change that are currently impacting populations and places around the world; condemns any spread of misinformation about and denial of the impacts of climate change that undermine the evidence base; reaffirms Scotland’s commitment to delivering ambitious climate action and achieving net zero by 2045, in line with its statutory carbon budget targets; agrees on the need to enhance Scotland’s climate resilience and adaptation efforts to safeguard people, communities, public services and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change; welcomes the transformative opportunities presented by climate action, including significant economic, social, environmental and public health benefits, and acknowledges that delivery of the transition must be fair and inclusive for all. Further details available for S7M-00434 Claire Baker S7M-00434.2 Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change—As an amendment to motion S7M-00434 in the name of Gillian Martin (Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change), insert at end "; recognises that, in order to meet the 2030 targets and beyond, the pace of change has to accelerate, acknowledging that, if pace continues at the current rate, targets will be missed; calls on the Scottish Government to publish detailed plans on how it will meet interim targets, and further calls on the Scottish Government to move at pace to bring forward retrofitting and other measures to tackle fuel poverty and help Scotland reach its climate targets." Further details available for S7M-00434.2 Duncan Massey S7M-00434.4 Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change—As an amendment to S7M-00434 in the name of Gillian Martin (Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change), leave out from "recognises” to end and insert “believes that there are significant risks to the economy from over-reacting and declaring an imminent emergency which is not underpinned by scientific data; notes that Scotland is facing an economic growth challenge and that current net zero policies are contributing to unsustainable cost increases and expensive energy, which are in turn contributing to deindustrialisation, the loss of jobs and an increase to the cost of living; agrees that Scotland needs pragmatic, sensible and proportionate policies that balance the economy and achieve cheap and abundant energy with long-term reduction of emissions, and resolves that Scotland must maximise its North Sea oil and gas resources in the short to medium term, whilst planning for the long term by investing in reliable, large-scale solutions such as nuclear power, with renewables continuing to play an important but complementary role." Further details available for S7M-00434.4 Mark Ruskell S7M-00434.3 Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change—As an amendment to motion S7M-00434 in the name of Gillian Martin (Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change), insert at end "; recognises that, despite a media backlash, a majority of the public continues to back strong climate action, especially young people; further recognises that local communities and workers must have a meaningful participatory role in developing and implementing local climate action, with the costs spread fairly across society; recognises that the latest Scottish Greenhouse Gas statistics indicate that progress to reduce emissions has flatlined in key sectors including agriculture, buildings and transport; believes that there must be no drilling of new fossil fuels reserves, in line with advice from the International Energy Agency; considers the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan to be undermined by a significant reliance on as-yet unproven technological solutions, including carbon capture and storage, and that the Scottish Government must develop an alternative pathway to meeting its net zero targets." Further details available for S7M-00434.3 Finlay Carson S7M-00434.5 Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change—As an amendment to motion S7M-00434 in the name of Gillian Martin (Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change), leave out from “that climate change” to end and insert "the reality and impacts of climate change and supports an affordable transition to net zero; understands that Scotland is committed to reaching net zero by 2045; raises significant concern over the findings of the Climate Change Committee that meeting this target will require significant and far-reaching changes across the economy, including major reductions in domestic oil and gas production, substantial changes in agriculture and livestock numbers, rapid acceleration in the uptake of electric vehicles and the expensive mass installation of heat pumps in homes across the country; recognises that public confidence in climate policy depends on targets being credible, achievable and supported by clear delivery plans; calls on the Scottish Government to set out clearly, honestly and in full, how it plans to meet its 2045 targets, including the practical steps required, the trade-offs involved, and the real impact on jobs, households, businesses and communities; emphasises that Scotland’s transition to net zero must be grounded in economic reality, protecting jobs, strengthening energy and food security and supporting sustainable economic growth; recognises the vital contribution of Scotland’s farmers, crofters, land managers, gamekeepers, fishing industry and rural and island communities in protecting the natural environment; supports the continued responsible extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea as part of a managed transition, recognising its importance to Scotland’s economy, energy security and skilled workforce, and rejects virtue signalling in favour of a practical, transparent and accountable approach to climate policy." Further details available for S7M-00434.5