Greenock and Inverclyde’s SNP candidate, Stuart McMillan, has marked Earth Day by welcoming the SNP’s environment manifesto – which outlines the party’s commitment to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change by 2045.
Commenting, Stuart said:
“Scotland’s land and seas are a unique and precious resource that must be protected – but also harnessed in a way that is green, fair and sustainable. The SNP will do that in its mission to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
“While we are already leading the way on climate change with our world-leading emissions, tree planting and peatland restoration targets, if re-elected, we will go further.
“Some of the mini-manifesto pledges include investing an additional £500m in our natural economy, publishing a strategy to tackle the biodiversity crisis, and reaffirming our commitment to protecting at least 30% of Scotland’s land.
“There’s also pledges to invest more than £250m to support the restoration of 250,000 hectares of Scotland’s peatland by 2030, and to increase targets for new woodland creation by 50%, from 12,000 hectares up to 18,000 hectares per year by 2025.
“In addition, the SNP will decarbonise the heating of 1 million homes by 2030 and all new homes and buildings from 2024 will use renewable or zero emissions heating – backed by a £1.6m investment – and we will revolutionise our transport system.
“We will do this by reducing the use of cars – measured as ‘car kilometres’ – by 20% by 2030, phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, provide free bikes for all pupils who cannot afford them, remove the majority of fossil fuel buses from public transport by 2023, and create a greener, publicly owned railway.
“Further, we will bring forward a Circular Economy Bill to promote reuse of products and reduce waste, take action to ban single-use plastic cutlery, implement the Deposit Return Scheme, and create a fund for innovation in tackling textile pollution.
“These steps we have pledged to take are all central to our recovery from the pandemic and to our future as a nation.
“So to secure a greener and fairer future, in which Scotland no longer contributes to climate change, vote SNP on 6th May.”
