Scottish Greens are to hold a vote on the future of their power-sharing agreement with the Scottish National Party (SNP) after the Scottish government abandoned its pledge to cut carbon emissions by 75% by 2030. The announcement, made by Net Zero Secretary Màiri McAllan on Thursday, has sparked fury among climate campaigners and prompted Green members to demand an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to discuss the Bute House agreement.
Co-leader Patrick Harvie said he would urge members to support the deal, arguing it allows the party to 'put Green values into practice' in government. The date of the vote has yet to be announced. The agreement, signed in August 2021, was historic as the first time Greens entered government anywhere in the UK, with Harvie and co-leader Lorna Slater taking ministerial posts.
The decision to drop the 2030 target followed criticism from the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), which said the target was no longer credible due to inadequate action on home heating, transport and farming. Scotland will now adopt five-yearly 'carbon budgets', similar to the UK and Welsh governments, aiming for net zero by 2045. CCC interim chair Prof Piers Forster called the move 'deeply disappointing', warning it undermines long-term planning for businesses and citizens.
Slater defended the party's record, citing progress on making polluters pay and social policy, and said the EGM would allow members to debate how to continue delivering a fairer, greener Scotland. She acknowledged challenges but stressed the movement's strength in standing up against destructive forces.
