Labour seek official ban on fracking

Labour plans to amend new climate change legislation at the Scottish Parliament, including looking at writing in a fracking ban.

The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill will face its first parliamentary hurdle at a stage one debate at Holyrood on Tuesday.

The bill would update laws to increase the greenhouse gas reduction target from 80 per cent to 90 per cent by 2050.

It would also introduce tougher interim targets of 56 per cent for 2020 and 66 per cent for 2030. Labour plan to lodge several amendments to the bill, including looking at whether a fracking ban can be written into the legislation.

The move follows the Scottish Government recently announcing its third public consultation on fracking.

Labour’s climate change spokeswoman Claudia Beamish said: “Scotland has the power to ban fracking and Labour is examining the best way to do so.”