Greens want 'urgent, radical change' to agricultural support amid climate fears

Highlands and Islands Green MSP Ariane Burgess has called for "urgent, radical change" to agricultural support so that farmers and crofters are better placed to reduce their carbon emissions.

She insisted that Scotland's ambitious targets on tackling the climate crisis would be meaningless unless backed up by policy.

The Greens say they are concerned that Scotland is continuing to miss emissions targets, while the Climate Change Committee has warned that not enough is being done to mitigate against rising temperatures and extreme weather.

At the same time, the Greens accuse the UK government of exposing Scottish agriculture to a "carbon-heavy" trade deal with Australia which they say will threaten the livelihoods of farmers and crofters.

At First Minister’s Questions, the Scottish Greens' co-leader Patrick Harvie urged Nicola Sturgeon to recognise the crisis facing rural communities and urgently reform agriculture subsidies to support climate adaptation.

The Greens have advocated increased funding to help farmers and crofters reduce their carbon output.

Following the exchange, Ms Burgess said: “Farmers and crofters throughout the region are facing a perfect storm. Rising temperatures, increasingly extreme weather and Boris Johnson’s disastrous trade deal with Australia all present existential threats to Scottish agriculture.

“We need to see urgent, radical change to the way agriculture is supported to ensure that farmers and crofters are adequately resourced in their mission to reduce emissions and prepare for the effects of a deteriorating climate.

“There is simply no time left to waste. If we want to meaningfully address the climate crisis we need to go further, faster, than the current pace. Ambitious targets are meaningless without the policy to back them up.”

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