STEVENSON CONDEMNS GORDON BROWN’S GREEN ENERGY HYPOCRISY

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has reacted angrily to the latest example of the Prime Minister’s shameless hypocrisy in calling for the creation of 1 million ‘green collar’ jobs by 2028.

The UK government torpedoed plans to create a pioneering carbon capture and storage project in Peterhead that would have brought jobs and investment to Banff & Buchan. Instead, the project is now being built in Abu Dhabi.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“The UK Government’s failure to support green energy initiatives in the past makes Gordon Brown’s current rhetoric on growing the sector all the more contemptible. He may now be trying to talk up his green credentials, but when it comes to action he is nowhere to be seen.

“He had the opportunity to help Scotland lead the world in developing this technology but thanks to his characteristic dithering and lack of commitment, Peterhead lost out.

“Instead of building the first power station of its type anywhere in the world, Scotland instead lost out thanks to Westminster. Their failure on this issue stands in stark contrast to the action taken by the Scottish Government, which means that it is now on course to surpass its challenging target of generating 31% of Scotland’s energy from renewable sources by 2011.

“Since May 2007, the Scottish Government has approved 13 new renewable projects, in contrast to just 17 that were approved in the previous four years. Clearly, where others only talk, we are committed to delivering on our ambitious green energy targets for Scotland.”