Yousaf accuses Sunak of ‘climate denial’ over oil and gasoline licences
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rime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of “climate denial” by Scotland’s First Minister over plans to provide out 100 new oil and gasoline licences.
Humza Yousaf made the accusation following an occasion the place he launched US local weather envoy John Kerry in Edinburgh and introduced a £24 million fund from the Scottish Government to assist international locations worst affected by the local weather disaster.
The Prime Minister introduced throughout a go to to Scotland final month that he would reveal the primary of the brand new licenses within the autumn.
Speaking to journalists after the occasion, Mr Yousaf stated: “What holds us back, of course, is a prime minister that’s in climate denial, coming up to Scotland to announce approval of 100 new oil and gas licences.
“Of course, the North Sea is important, we’ve got to take workers with us if we want to accelerate pace of the just transition, which can’t happen with a UK Government that simply denies the state of the climate crisis.”
Meanwhile, the First Minister introduced that three help companies, together with the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, will every obtain as much as £8 million over the following three years from the Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund to assist work in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia.
It will allow them to work intently with communities to handle the fabric and social results of local weather change, funding initiatives akin to constructing extra climate-resilient housing or repairing village flood defences.
Mr Yousaf launched the programme on Thursday as he launched a lecture by Mr Kerry specializing in the local weather disaster.
During his introductory deal with, the First Minister stated: “The countries which are the worst affected by the climate crisis are often those which have done little or nothing to cause it.
“The injustice at the heart of the global climate crisis is why Scotland became the first country in the world to establish a Climate Justice Fund more than a decade ago, and why we have led the way in being the first global north country to commit funding to address loss and damage.
“Today, we are able to announce the start of the Climate Just Communities programme in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda. The programme will work with local communities – including with marginalised groups – so that they can identify their own priorities, and build their resilience to the climate crisis.
“The £24 million programme that we are confirming today is a significant commitment from a devolved government. It will make a real difference to the communities we are working with and it’s a further sign of Scotland’s determination to be a good global citizen – and to do our bit in tackling the climate crisis here in Scotland and across the world.”
With only a few months to go earlier than Cop28 in Dubai, all of us want to make sure our unwavering dedication to addressing one of many world’s best threats
The occasion in Edinburgh is the primary in a collection of annual Scottish Global Dialogues going down through the Edinburgh International Festival to debate world challenges, organised by Beyond Borders Scotland and the WS Society with assist from the Scottish Government.
Mr Kerry stated: “I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to speak at a historic site like the Signet Library to address the climate crisis at this critical moment.
“With just a few months to go before Cop28 in Dubai, we all need to ensure our unwavering commitment to addressing one of the world’s greatest threats.”
Founder of Beyond Borders Mark Muller Stuart stated: “We are delighted that Secretary Kerry has accepted our invitation to come to Scotland to launch Scottish Global Dialogues by giving the inaugural address on such a critical issue as the climate crisis as we move towards Cop28.
“We believe the convening power of the Edinburgh festivals and the Signet Library’s Scottish Enlightenment connections provides the perfect backdrop for such an address, to say nothing of the Scottish people’s enduring commitment to protecting our environment.”
The Prime Minister advised BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “Even when we reach net zero in 2050, a quarter of our energy needs will still come from oil and gas, and domestic production has about a quarter of a third of the carbon footprint of imported gas.
“So not only is it better on our energy security not to rely on foreign dictators for that energy, not only is it good for jobs, particularly Scottish jobs, it is actually better for the environment because there is no point in importing stuff from halfway around the world with two to three times the carbon footprint of the stuff we’ve got at home, that makes absolutely no sense.”