Rail investment needs to be on track

COP26 IN Glasgow delivered a pact which represents a new chapter in our global fight against the climate crisis.

In Scotland, having led the way on climate legislation following Scottish Labour’s cross-party push for radical targets, we’ve not seen enough action from The Scottish Government with targets on emissions, renewable heat, and biodiversity all being missed. There’s no meaningful plan for a jobs-first transition, and public transport routes are being cut. We need a just transition which creates high-quality, green jobs and ensures that no community is left behind.

The climate crisis is the greatest threat facing our world with low income countries already experiencing the devastating impacts of flooding and droughts. Scottish Labour has launched Green Labour as an optimistic, alternative vision of the greener Scotland we want to build. In the

Scottish Parliament as we build recovery from COVID we need joined-up action on fuel poverty, new community heat and renewables that are affordable for consumers, and a focus on new jobs and training.

We also need more affordable transport in communities across Scotland. We need investment in new rail services, support for new, locally owned bus services like Lothian Buses, safe, properly planned active travel routes, and

EV charging points: an expansion of low carbon transport that meets people’s needs.

We all need to work together to make the changes our communities need to cope with the climate and nature emergencies.

The agreement reached at COP26 is just a starting point and our communities must be at the heart of the just transition we need.