LABOUR will today claim to be more green than the Scottish Greens, saying its left-wing rival is too distracted by independence to focus on the environment.
Unveiling a plan to make Scotland more eco-friendly, Labour will say it is now “the country’s true green party”.
The Greens said Scottish Labour was suffering "an identity crisis”.
The Labour plan includes a target to meet 50 per cent of electricity, heat and transport demand from renewables by 2030, an onshore fracking ban, scrapping the SNP’s airport tax cut, more publicly-owned bus and rail, and greater investment in renewable energy.
Environment spokesperson Claudia Beamish, who will next week meet charity, council and trade union representatives to discuss the forthcoming Climate Change Bill, said: “The SNP’s plan to cut taxes on aviation, and the Greens support for a £170m cut to local services, proves that Labour is now the true green party in Scotland.
“Climate change is the great challenge for this generation, and both the Scottish and UK Governments must take action to tackle it now.
“Scottish Labour will push the SNP to stress-test all policies against our climate commitments, ban onshore fracking, create jobs in the low-carbon industry and deliver public transport fit for the 21st century.
"Eventually Scotland will be a zero carbon nation and now is the time to explore this. This is no time for more complacency from the SNP, the Tories or the Greens.”
Green MSP Mark Ruskell said: “Today it’s the environment, tomorrow it’s renewing Trident.
“Scottish Labour is a party with an identity crisis always trying to work out what it’s against, rather than what it stands for.
“This is a party which supports tax breaks for the oil industry, aviation growth, nuclear new-build and is giving up on the EU - the planet’s strongest voice on climate action.”
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