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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Rural Communities Need Urgent Support to Address Climate Change

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The Scottish Government must urgently bring forward support for rural communities and the agriculture sector to adapt to climate change the Scottish Greens have said.

This week figures showed Scotland continues to miss emissions targets, the Climate Change Committee warned not enough was being done to mitigate against rising temperatures and extreme weather, while the UK Government exposed Scottish agriculture to a carbon heavy trade deal with Australia which threatens the livelihood of farmers and crofters.

At First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie, urged Nicola Sturgeon to recognise the crisis facing rural communities and urgently reform agriculture subsidies to support climate adaptation.

Agriculture remains the third biggest carbon emitter in Scotland and the Scottish Greens have long since advocated increased funding to help farmers and crofters reduce their carbon output.

Following the exchange, Highlands and Islands Green MSP Ariane Burgess (pictured) said:

“Farmers and crofters throughout the region are facing a perfect storm.

“Rising temperatures, increasingly extreme weather and Boris Johnson’s disastrous trade deal with Australia all present existential threats to Scottish agriculture.

“We need to see urgent, radical, change to the way agriculture is supported to ensure that farmers and crofters are adequately resourced in their mission to reduce emissions and prepare for the effects of a deteriorating climate.

“There is simply no time left to waste.

“If we want to meaningfully address the climate crisis we need to go further, faster, than the current pace.

“Ambitious targets are meaningless without the policy to back them up.”

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