Harvie: I blame Tories for roadblocks by eco zealots!

PATRICK Harvie has warned Scotland should brace for a ‘huge amount of protests and direct action’ during COP26 but he does not back blocking ambulances.

The Scottish Greens co-leader and Zero Carbon Buildings Minister stopped short of condemning Insulate Britain protesters, who have sparked fury south of the Border by shutting roads.

But he said tactics that block emergency vehicles should not be replicated in Scotland.

Incredibly, he argued the blame for demonstrators closing roads and refusing to move even for paramedics lies with the UK Government. Speaking after addressing his party conference in Edinburgh yesterday, Mr Harvie said: ‘I don’t think you should block emergency vehicles. The way to stop it is for the Government to take the action that’s necessary.

‘At the moment they want to blame the messenger.

‘What they should do is listen to the message and do the work that is needed. The UK Government delayed its heat-building strategy, delayed decisions on the gas grid.’

The COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, from October 31 to November 12, will see activists come from around the world.

‘I’m sure there will be a huge amount of protests and direct action of all kind. It should be peaceful, non-violent and respectful,’ Mr Harvie said.

Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrats at their autumn conference this weekend have vowed to be the true party of the environment.

Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton unveiled policies including rail price cuts, higher Air Passenger Duty bills for frequent fliers, and a government-backed rental scheme to give everyone the chance to drive an electric car at a weekend.

He said: ‘I want to offer new hope for the climate emergency with fresh ideas for every part of the crisis facing our planet.’

As Zero Carbon Buildings Minister, Mr Harvie is tasked with encouraging families to insulate their homes and swap gas boilers for environmentally friendly options, such as heat pumps.

That will be key if the Scottish Government is to hit its net zero emissions target by 2045. In his speech, he said he had visited tower blocks in Springburn, Glasgow, where public money had been used to install heat pumps that have cut energy bills by 60 per cent for hundreds of households.

Public buildings and social housing are to benefit from a doubling in government funding for low carbon heating. Private homeowners will be expected to install their own costly alternatives to gas boilers.