Greens in climate bill pie claim

The Scottish Greens have condemned the Scottish Government for creating "fatal weaknesses" in the Climate Change Bill.

Party leadership contender Patrick Harvie said annual targets were the "teeth" of the bill, as conceived by the Greens, and should be put back in.

He also told the party's annual conference in Glasgow that a climate plan with an aviation opt-out was like a "diet plan with an opt-out for pies".

The MSP also accused other parties of complacency towards the HBOS crisis.

He said: "Our conference theme is building greener communities.

"How appropriate, as we recognise the value we once had in our building societies, based on more sustainable finance than today's buccaneer capitalists.

"Alex Salmond might now denounce them as spivs, and New Labour's new man in Scotland might want to see them go to the fire.

"But Greens want something more than name-calling, and I'd quite like to do something about it in this world, rather than hope for retribution another."

Mr Harvie also spoke about the energy crisis and said many other parties "just don't get it".

Party achievements

He called for more investment in renewables, the grid, community energy schemes and in demand reduction.

He said: "Gordon Brown was in Glasgow recently and was telling the CBI in one breath how badly he wanted to see a low carbon economy, and in the very next breath how important it was to get every last spoonful of oil out of the North Sea, the quicker to burn it."

Mr Harvie praised the achievements of his party, including the Climate Challenge Fund and the abolition of the system of aviation subsidy introduced by the previous government.

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