20 Jun 24
Analysis by Dr Jason Palmer (Cambridge Energy, CAR and UCL)
The Scottish National Party manifesto leads on predictable concerns about independence: ‘We will put the interests of [Scottish] people first, and protect public services like the NHS.’ They lay out what they describe as ‘moderate, left of centre’ policies including doing all they can to stop further austerity measures being imposed on Scotland. They also want Scotland to rejoin the EU.
Climate change is almost completely absent from the SNP’s key pledges. The only loosely related pledge is the commitment to ‘demand the devolution of new borrowing powers to invest in a just transition’. They also plan to demand that the new UK Government matches their £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East [of Scotland] and Moray, to create jobs and ‘deliver a fair and managed transition to net zero’.
The SNP propose a package of measures aimed at alleviating the cost of living crisis and fuel poverty in Scotland, and these are welcome, but there is every chance this will increase Scottish emissions. They want the UK Government to invest at least £28bn a year in the green economy, and to devolve full powers over energy legislation, pricing and generation. They also call on the UK to introduce EV car leasing for low-income families.
There are no funding details for these policies in the SNP manifesto.
How much would each party's manifesto commitments reduce UK CO2e emissions?
Party Manifestos - Climate Comparison
| Key pledges in the next parliament | Impact on UK emissions | Impact on per capita emissions |
|---|---|---|
| Devolve windfall tax powers for companies operating in Scotland, to help shoulder the burden of high energy costs facing families, and tackle climate change | Not quantifiable | Not quantifiable |
| Address the imbalance of VAT between refurbishment/retrofitting and new build in construction, and remove VAT from on-street vehicle charging | Unquantifiable (price signals would nudge investment in the right direction, but no direct impact on emissions) | Unquantifiable |
| Call for a social tariff for energy (cheaper energy for poorer households) | Likely RISE in emissions | Likely RISE in emissions |
| Revive funding for the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage project | Unquantifiable (depends on scale and timetable) | Unquantifiable |
| Rule out new nuclear plants in Scotland | RISE in emissions | RISE in emissions |
| Press the UK Government to secure a direct interconnector between Scotland and the continent, and promote Scotland’s hydrogen export potential | Unquantifiable (and likely to be minimal) | Unquantifiable |
| Ban new coal licences | Low (by 2030) | Low |
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