Scottish election 2021: Greens to 'create 100,000 jobs' as part of climate action plan

The Scottish Greens are set to unveil their plans to create 100,000 jobs through a ‘green recovery plan’ aimed at reducing Scotland’s carbon emissions and tackling the climate emergency.

Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie will unveil the party’s manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary election on May 6 in Glasgow today.

Investment in renewable energy, warm homes, public transport and the restoration of nature will be central to the party’s manifesto pledge.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Scottish Greens could be key to the running of any post-election government and have acted as the main partner with the minority SNP government around passing budgets during the past five years.

The Scottish Greens are set to unveil their manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary elections.The Scottish Greens are set to unveil their manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
The Scottish Greens are set to unveil their manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
Read More
Nicola Sturgeon: 'I carry the weight of care home decisions every single day'

A recent Savanta ComRes poll suggested the party would return around ten MSPs to Holyrood and could hold the balance of power if the SNP fail to return enough MSPs for an outright majority.

Speaking ahead of the launch of their manifesto, Ms Slater – the Lothian candidate and party co-leader – said: “As we emerge from the pandemic and face the climate crisis, we need to invest in a green recovery. The Scottish Greens manifesto details how we plan to do that, creating over 100,000 jobs.

“There will be no second chance when it comes to the climate emergency, and that is why we need bold and decisive climate action now. That’s what our manifesto offers. It’s time to vote like our future depends on it.”

Among the party’s promises include 10,000 jobs through the upgrade of onshore wind turbines and more investment into tidal power with the use of direct subsidy to protect the Scottish supply chain.

The party also aims to create 17,000 construction jobs through major investment in Scotland’s railways through their £22 billion Rail for All proposals published earlier this year, which would include new lines and infrastructure projects.

A further 6,000 jobs will come from plans to restore forests, peatlands and to rewild parts of Scotland.

The manifesto will also include a plan to retrofit homes with new technology aimed to meet newer efficiency standards – a move the party says would create 75,000 new jobs for trades such as plumbers, electricians, builders and joiners.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.