West Dunbartonshire Green MSP Ross Greer has labelled the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Bill a “weak and inadequate response to the climate emergency” which fails to address the concerns of young climate strikers.

Young people from across West Dunbartonshire took to the streets in Glasgow on Friday, September 20, demanding bold action.

Greer claims the Scottish Government’s Climate Bill betrays promises made to that mass movement and their demands for urgent action to deal with the climate emergency.

The targets included in the Bill would put the planet on course for a 50/50 chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, the point beyond which catastrophic consequences become unstoppable.

A Green amendment for a stronger 2030 target was voted down by every other party.

Mr Greer said: “Thousands of young people marched through the streets of Glasgow to demand bold action on the climate emergency.

“Unfortunately, the SNP’s bill doesn’t live up to their demands.

“It’s inadequate 2030 emissions reduction target shows just how empty their congratulations to the youth climate strikers actually were.

“Greens secured important improvements, including on warm homes and a Citizen’s Assembly but we cannot pretend this Bill is anywhere near the meaningful action needed to address the climate emergency. That’s why I could not vote for it.

“Targets are meaningless without action to meet them. We need the kind of ambition laid out in our Scottish Green New Deal and the Scottish Youth Climate Strikers’ People’s Climate Declaration.

“We need bold plans to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in green energy, deliver affordable and high-quality public transport and make every home in the country warm and energy efficient.

“That would be a real emergency response and it’s what the Greens will keep fighting for, while others pat each other on the back for this wholly inadequate Bill.”