Green industrial strategy must get away from short-termist and incompetent SNP decision making

Responding to the Scottish Government’s launch of its Green Industrial Strategy, economy spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said:

“There are sensible points here around prioritisation of resources, coordinated policy and partnership working but while the vision of a greener Scotland is laudable, the strategy omits key lessons from previous attempts at green industrialisation that faltered due to inadequate investment and poor decision making.

“For example, the strategy says that maximising Scotland’s wind economy should be our top priority but even as one of Europe’s largest windfarms is built off the Fife coast, not a single blade is being manufactured here because the Scottish Government handed £50m to a firm which immediately folded and failed to develop alternatives.

“Coupled with the scandal of selling off Scotland’s seabed at a fraction of its true worth and then spending the money plugging SNP budget holes rather than investing in our green economy, the SNP strategy to date has been depressingly incompetent and short-termist.

“I hope that this strategy is turned into concrete, actionable plans and that we turn our back on a decade in which Scotland has fallen short on numerous environmental goals. Scottish Liberal Democrats will continue to press the government to ensure that this new strategy will not repeat the mistakes of its predecessors.”