SNP ministers are pledging £6 million a year to support the world’s poorest communities to tackle the impacts of global warming amid a plea to “tax the high emitters that are making the climate emergency worse”.
But the Scottish Government has been told to “up their game and outline a clear plan to achieve our net zero ambitions” after concern was raised that domestically, action isn’t packing up warm words on the climate.
The doubling of funding comes after COP26 president-designate, Alok Sharma, warned MSPs that there is “more to do” in order for a promised $100 billion to be provided from rich countries to developing nations.
The Scottish Government is doubling its climate justice fund to £6 million per year, tallying up £24 million over the next five years.
Campaigners have welcomed the “timely acknowledgement that faster action to reduce our emissions must be accompanied by an urgent scaling up of the financial support” to developing nations that are “the least equipped to cope” with the impacts of the climate crisis.
READ MORE: COP26 poll: Half of Scots don't trust world leaders to deliver climate solution
The Scottish Government’s Net Zero Secretary, Michael Matheson, will announce the increased funding at a Holyrood debate this afternoon in which he will boast about climate measures his administration have included in the Programme for Government.
The SNP-Greens prospectus for the next five years includes £1.8 billion to decarbonise homes and a commitment to implement the recommendations of the Just Transition Commission.
But the government's statutory adviser, the Climate Change Committee, has branded the administration's strategy to become net zero by 2045 as “on the fringes of credibility” while annual emissions targets have been missed in each of the last three years.
Scottish Conservative energy, net zero and transport spokesperson, Liam Kerr, said: “The SNP talk a good game when it comes to tackling climate change, but their record doesn’t match their rhetoric. They have missed key emission targets for the last three years in a row.
“It is time for them to focus on taking the decisive action required, rather than trying to spin a positive picture on their policies.”
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He added: “With the imminent COP26 summit, we need to see the SNP-Green Government up their game and outline a clear plan to achieve our net zero ambitions.
“Since setting emissions targets, ministers have been too slow to act and failed to show the leadership needed to tackle the climate crisis.”
Mr Matheson will call on MSPs to back the Scottish Government doing “everything in its power to tackle the escalating climate and nature emergencies and deliver a just transition for all”.
He will also point to “the need for Scotland to advice determinedly to decarbonise homes, buildings, energy, industry and transport” adding that “there are also significant opportunities for Scotland to lead the way globally in finding solutions”.
Mr Matheson said: “With COP26 coming to Glasgow, this is a pivotal year for making sure countries in the global south have the support they need to tackle climate change. That’s why we are doubling our financial support for some of the world’s most vulnerable nations.
“We have committed to ending our contribution to climate change within a generation and we are making great progress – Scotland is already more than halfway to net zero.
“To play our full role in supporting the aims of the Paris Agreement, we must also be an ally to the nations most urgently impacted by climate change. By doubling our funding for those countries, we will provide much needed support for those that, while making up only a fraction of the world's emissions, are already feeling the effects severely.”
Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, has welcomed the commitment to increase funding, but has called on SNP ministers to “bolster its global leadership by signalling its intent to tax the high emitters that are making the climate emergency worse”.
He said: “Right now, across the world, people are losing their lives and homes to climate change.
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“This announcement by the Scottish Government is a very welcome and timely acknowledgement that faster action to reduce our emissions must be accompanied by an urgent scaling up of the financial support given to vulnerable countries that are not only the least responsible for the climate crisis, but also the least equipped to cope with it.
“The detail of where this extra money comes from is important too; with only weeks to go until crunch COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland should bolster its global leadership by signalling its intent to tax the high emitters that are making the climate emergency worse.
"Doing so would send a powerful message to the rest of the world that that climate change isn’t just a matter of science, technology or economics, it's a matter of justice.”
The funding boosts comes after UK Government minister and COP26 president, Alok Sharma, has warned more action is needed for western nations to bring forward a promised $100 billion a year that was pledged every year from 2020 to 2025 but has still not materialised.
Speaking to Holyrood’s Net Zero Committee, Mr Sharma said: “We are asking developed countries to deliver on their promise of $100 billion a year funds mobilisation to support developing countries.
“That was supposed to happen every year from 2020 to 2025. We are not there yet.”
He added: “We’ve had some significant new money that has been announced by a number of countries but clearly we need to do more.
“We continue to press the donor countries on this. We are going to be setting out a delivery plan ahead of COP on this.”
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