Holyrood election 2016: Where the parties stand on environment and energy

  • Published

Voters in Scotland go to the polls on Thursday 5 May to choose their next MSPs. But where do the parties stand on key issues? Here we look at the environment and energy.

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Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon outlines what her party will do to protect the environment

  • moratorium on fracking

  • Warm Homes Bill to help tackle fuel poverty

  • new Climate Change Bill with a new target to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2020

  • establish a government owned energy company to support local and community energy

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Scottish Labour Party leader Kezia Dugdale shares her view of the environment

  • no to fracking

  • introduce a Warm Homes Act to exploit renewable heat technologies, cut fuel poverty, tackle climate change and create jobs

  • a major review of of river and coastal flood defences

  • shift freight from lorries onto cleaner trains and coastal shipping

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Scottish Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson outlines what her party will do to protect the environment

  • allowing communities to impose moratorium on windfarms

  • allowing communities to impose moratorium on fracking

  • existing nuclear capacity should be protected for the long-term

  • a clear target to achieve all properties achieving an EPC C rating or above by the end of the next decade at the latest

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Scottish Liberal Democrat Party leader Willie Rennie outlines what his party will do to protect the environment

  • ban on fracking

  • boost investment in renewable energy to reach 100% renewable energy generation

  • giving priority to warm homes, renewable heat and low-carbon transport

  • ending open-cast coal mining

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Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie outlines what his party will do to protect the environment

  • ban on fracking

  • establish a framework for action on food security, sustainable agriculture and healthy living

  • transition to climate-ready neighbourhoods that reduce emissions, limit flood risks and increase resilience to extreme conditions

  • expansion of the Climate Challenge Fund

  • yes to fracking

  • scrap targets regarding foresting and re-wilding.

  • replace SEPA with a new organisation that would "work with locals and landowners rather than against them"

  • support research into GM foods, and allow a free vote in parliament on commercial cultivation