Scottish Greens 'only just getting started'
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Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie were both appointed as junior Scottish government ministers last month
The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens have said the party is "only just getting started" with tackling climate change now that it is in government.
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater became Scottish government ministers last month thanks to a cooperation agreement with the SNP.
It is the first time a Green party has been in government anywhere in the UK.
The pair spoke at the party's conference at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on Saturday morning.
Mr Harvie was given responsibility for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants' rights, while Ms Slater will focus on green skills, the circular economy and biodiversity.
The junior ministerial posts will allow the Green co-leaders to attend meetings of Nicola Sturgeon's cabinet on occasions when their portfolios are being discussed.
The conference is being held in-person rather than virtually, with Mr Harvie telling party members: "We are only just getting started.
"Our shared programme in government is about creating a green recovery from the pandemic, one that tackles the climate emergency."
Speaking to BBC Scotland ahead of the conference, Mr Harvie said his first few weeks in government had been "incredibly exciting".
He added: "It has been hard work already, but I am really looking forward to the ability to actually start delivering some of the change that we have been calling for instead of just making speeches about it."
The Greens have pointed to a new strategy to decarbonise heating and a major review of incineration as evidence of their early success in government.
The decarbonised heating plan will cost about £33bn by 2045 - with homeowners expected to pick up some of the bill.
For the Scottish Greens, this is a conference with a difference.
It's their first as a party of government, after signing that historic cooperation deal six weeks ago.
The leadership will be keen to stress the opportunities that provides to push their policy agenda - action to tackle climate change and a green recovery from the pandemic.
Co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are now in ministerial roles.
Mr Harvie has already announced plans to decarbonise heating systems in Scotland's homes and buildings.
How the £33bn cost will be met is less clear.
The Greens in government are now facing the challenge of delivering - and paying for - the changes they spent years campaigning for.
Ms Slater used her speech to say the Greens are putting climate at the heart of government - but also needed to deliver social justice.
She will added: "These are the changes that can only happen with Greens in government. They are changes that will make a difference to people's lives, and they are changes that we are very proud to be delivering."
Both Ms Slater and Mr Harvie say they are planning to join protests during the upcoming Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow.
Why are the Scottish Greens in government?
The SNP finished as comfortably the largest party in May's election, but fell one seat short of an overall majority.
Rather than again form a minority administration, the party signed a power-sharing arrangement with the pro-independence Greens - who won eight seats in the election - which falls short of a full coalition.
It will see Green MSPs back the SNP administration in any confidence votes in parliament, as well as ensuring its budgets pass.
They will also work together on a range of issues including climate change, public transport, housebuilding and rent controls.
But the deal allows them to disagree on some other topics, including aviation policy, field sports such as fox hunting and the future of fee-paying schools.
The Scottish Conservatives described the deal as a "coalition of chaos" - with the Greens being criticised by opponents for backing the introduction of vaccine passports despite being strongly opposed before they joined the government.
The Greens have also refused to put pressure on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to oppose plans for new oil and gas extraction from the Cambo field near Shetland - an issue that the Scottish government has remained on the fence about.
Ms Slater told the PA news agency that the oil field proposal was "absolutely incompatible" with tackling the climate emergency but said: "It's not a devolved matter, we don't have time to sit in the Scottish government and talk about matters that we don't have the powers to make decisions about."