Scottish Labour pledges historic Warm Homes Act ahead of Paris talks

Ahead of the landmark UN climate summit in Paris next week, Scottish Labour has committed to a Warm Homes Act at Scotland’s Climate March.

The move comes just days after Scottish Labour councils joined more than 60 across Britain in pledging to make their towns and cities “100% clean” by 2050.

The pledge means a future Warm Homes Act and local councils working to ensure they use cleaner energy supplies, greener transport systems, and insulate homes.

The coordinated announcement made by some of Scotland’s biggest Labour-led Council comes at a time when the Conservative government have slashed Feed In Tariff and Renewable Heat Incentives, blocking community and householder renewables, threatening Scottish jobs and businesses low carbon technologies.

Over the course of the last week the Conservatives have hardened their opposition to the renewables and low carbon sector as the UK Treasury confirmed it would part privatise Edinburgh’s Green Investment Bank and Shell has already said carbon capture and storage plans for Peterhead will no longer be viable, following a £1billion cut to funding.

The changes in the financial support to renewables comes just months after the SNP Government admitted it is failing to meet its own legal climate change targets, for the fourth year in a row.

Scottish Labour’s Environmental Justice Spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said:

“Labour councils in Scotland and across Britain have shown the difference our movement can make from our town halls and city chambers, pushing for clean energy even if the UK government will not. A Scottish Labour Government at Holyrood would deliver regulatory change to make warm homes that tackle climate change a 21st century reality.

Scottish Labour worked constructively on a cross party basis to help pass Scotland’s ground breaking Climate Change Act. Much more needs to be done by the SNP Government.

Scottish Labour believes in climate justice for every community, rural and urban, at home and abroad. Our job is to stand up for fairness and to fight against injustice, to stand beside those communities who need us to protect their environment and their quality of life.

These are worrying and challenging times for renewables, so the SNP Government needs to redouble its efforts to get on with tackling climate change. Without the political will to support low carbon heat and power, we won’t tackle fuel poverty and Scottish companies will miss out on becoming leaders in making this globally important technology commercially viable. With the Tories reversing Scotland’s progress on green energy we urgently need a Scottish Government which will set out how it will match ambitions with real action.

On Saturday thousands came to Edinburgh to show their support for our transition to a low carbon society at Scotland’s Climate March. Scottish Labour will commit to ground breaking legislation for a Scottish Warm Homes Act.

A Warm Homes Act will deliver important changes in planning and building regulations so Scotland can create jobs, tackle fuel poverty and live up to our aspirations to be a world leader in tackling climate change.”

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One thought on “Scottish Labour pledges historic Warm Homes Act ahead of Paris talks

  1. meanwhile….

    the Labour party gives Cameron a free hand to bomb Syrian civilians….

    Jeremy Corben backs down to the Blairites….

    What is the point in an opposition that does not oppose?

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