Are Scottish Greens still Green? And if so, are they a help or a hindrance to fight against climate change – Scotsman comment

Many who vote for the party will doubtless do so because they fear the others are not doing enough on climate change, feeling this is the best way to move the drive to a net-zero economy up the political agenda. They will surely have welcomed party co-leader Patrick Harvie’s recent stern words for politicians patting themselves on the back for setting world-leading climate targets while failing to do enough to actually meet them. Asked about speculation the Scottish Government could weaken its targets, he spoke of the need to have “the Greens in the room to shape that agenda”.

However, it should become clearer over the next few months which policies matter the most to the Greens. Will they hold the SNP’s feet to the fire over climate change or merely pay lip service to it in exchange for maintaining good relations in order to pursue other policies, such as independence and transgender rights, and stay in government.

The SNP has long talked a good game on global warming. The news that the Scottish Government is off track to meet its climate targets adds to the impression they were never really serious about it. So, are the Greens? Their election campaign may be instructive.

If they are still Green, a second question should be asked: are they a help or a hindrance? Given the scale of the task to move to a net-zero economy, their plans to overturn “conventional economics” seem rather too ambitious. And a culture-war approach to climate change – creating divisions, with goodies and baddies, instead of unity – is deeply counterproductive.

A whole-society approach, encompassing the political left and right, and even demonised energy companies, arch-capitalists and the like, represents by far the best chance that Scotland will rise to meet this generational challenge and emerge with a thriving, growing economy once it is completed.