Scottish Greens conference: Co-convener Patrick Harvie to echo UN’s final call to prevent ‘climate catastrophe’

SCOTTISH Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie will today tell his party’s conference in Glasgow that a once in a lifetime opportunity now now exists, with public support, to transform society and halt dangerous climate change.

As part of his autumn conference speech, the Glasgow MSP will discuss how the focus on fighting climate change must be shifted from individuals to corporations, echoing the UN’s final call to save the world from ‘climate catastrophe’.

He is to say: “Greens know that our response to climate change must go beyond technical arguments about targets – it’s important to get them right for full net-zero ambition, but the climate emergency must inform every aspect of how we run our economy.

“People are doing what they can as individuals, but that will never be enough and is not where the true responsibility lies when just 100 giant corporations are responsible for nearly three quarters of global emissions, and when industries like aviation and fossil fuels still wield political power, and are rewarded with tax breaks by governments here at home and around the world.”

Mr Harvie will also say that a green transformation of Scotland is now possible, because of recent regional electoral successes for Greens across northern Europe.

On that front, he is also expected to call for the party, which currently has six MSPs, to ‘get into campaign mode’ and become more active in communities across the country.

He will also use his speech to reaffirm his party’s support for Scotland being an independent member within the European Union, highlighting how the principle of Scots being sovereign is being “torn to shreds” by the Westminster government.

And on Brexit, Mr Harvie is expected to say: “Brexit Britain doesn’t sound like the kind of place I want to live and as a party we remain committed to a positive vision of Scotland’s future as an independent country and a full member of the European family.

“The events of the next few weeks and months will pose a critical threat not only to the immediate prospects for our country and for our neighbours, but a critical threat to the very basis of our democracy, with the traditional principle of the sovereignty of the Scottish people being torn to shreds by a UK government determined to lash us to the deck of HMS Brexit Britain.”

Looking ahead to the Scottish Budget negotiations and the party’s role in what they say is making Scotland a fairer country, Mr Harvie is expected to say: “Let me be clear – that change to fairer income tax wouldn’t have happened without the Greens leading the change, without our determination to push the SNP beyond their comfort zone.

“Income Tax reforms weren’t the only achievement in that budget process – from investment in community-led rail initiatives, to accelerated funds for marine protected areas; from an inflation-based pay increase for far more public sector workers to a commitment to shift Scotland’s capital budget progressively away from high-carbon and toward low-carbon infrastructure every year throughout this Parliament.”

The conference takes place today and tomorrow at the University of Strathclyde’s Technology & Innovation Centre.