Ukraine war shows need to accelerate shift away from fossil fuels – Harvie

Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater spoke six months after the Greens entered government.

Patrick Harvie, centre left, and Lorna Slater, centre right, visited the Alexander Dennis bus plant (Neil Pooran/PA)

The war in Ukraine shows the need to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels, Green minister Patrick Harvie has said.

The link between fossil fuels and “political instability” was clearer than ever, he said.

The war has sent oil prices soaring and has led to many European countries reconsidering their reliance on Russian gas.

On Friday, Mr Harvie and his fellow Green minister Lorna Slater visited the Alexander Dennis bus plant in Falkirk, speaking to apprentices working on new electric buses being built there.

The Greens entered government six months ago (Lesley Martin/PA) (PA Archive)

This week marks six months since the Greens entered government as part of a co-operation agreement with the SNP.

Mr Harvie told the PA news agency: “Absolutely everybody has been shocked and distressed to see the images coming out of Ukraine and the appalling, completely unjustifiable unprovoked invasion that Vladimir Putin has unleashed.

“We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and I think it’s been inspiring to see people in Russia protesting against the war.”

He continued: “Reliance on fossil fuels is already a crisis for our society.

“It’s environmentally destructive, it’s unsustainable, but it’s also clearer now to more people than ever before that it’s connected to political instability and our global shared security.

It means taking our homes and buildings off the gas network as well

Patrick Harvie

“So we absolutely need to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

“That means things like what we see here today, with electrification of buses.

“It means taking our homes and buildings off the gas network as well.”

Mr Harvie, who is the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, called on the UK government to rebalance energy prices to allow householders to run zero-carbon heating without falling into fuel poverty.

The Scottish Greens’ spring conference begins on March 11.

Ms Slater said entering government six months ago had been a “step change” for the party.

Asked if Green members felt they should go further in government, she said the party had welcomed the Bute House agreement which led to its two ministerial roles.

She told PA: “It is a big change for us to be part of that decision-making structure rather than just scrutinising the government.

We’re gaining new experience but I also think we’re gaining real credibility for what we can deliver

Lorna Slater

“Everybody is always wishing to be able to do more than they can – that’s something we need to work on.

“Once you’re in government you have to take responsibility, you have to follow the correct processes.

“It’s a more grown-up form of politics than we’ve had before.

“We’re gaining new experience but I also think we’re gaining real credibility for what we can deliver.”

Discussing the Scottish Government’s independence prospectus, she said formulating the document would be a “detailed process” which would take many months.