Scottish government accused of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ approach to climate

Activism / 11 November 2026 BDS Movement hails victory as Scottish-Korean oil firm ditches Palestine ‘pillage’ 11 November 2026 Green Energy / 11 November 2026 PM welcomes £12bn ‘vote of confidence’ in offshore wind 11 November 2026 Workers' Rights / 11 November 2026 Unions condemn ‘science vandalism‘ with planned job cuts at research body 11 November 2026 Wales / 11 November 2026 Reform backs member banned from speaking in Senedd for ‘white replacement’ claims 11 November 2026 Economy / 11 November 2026 Labour market ‘grinding to a halt,’ study suggests 11 November 2026 THE Scottish government has been accused of taking a “Jekyll and Hyde approach to the climate crisis” by environmental campaigners.

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS), a coalition of over 70 groups, spoke out as climate action secretary Gillian Martin jetted off to the United Nations COP31 event in Turkey.

While Ms Martin announced £2 million funding to help poorer nations facing climate change impacts, SCCS slammed the Scottish government’s decision last month to greenlight a new gas-fired power station in Peterhead, and renewed calls on First Minister John Swinney to oppose the Rosebank oil and gas field.

Warning the new power station could “pump out 75 million tonnes of climate pollution and keep running 15 years past Scotland’s own net zero deadline” of 2045, SCCS coalition manager Fraser Sutherland said: “It’s a Jekyll and Hyde approach to the climate crisis.

“This summer Scotland baked in record heatwaves, battled wildfires, ran short of water and was hit by floods.

“Backing more oil and gas now is self-sabotage, and people in Scotland will pay the price.

“The First Minister has promised to tackle the climate crisis.

“He can start by opposing Rosebank, restoring the right to a healthy environment in the Human Rights Bill, and backing a global road map away from fossil fuels at Cop31.”

While welcoming the pledge of funding for the global South, head of Oxfam Scotland Katherine May warned the country “cannot claim to support climate justice abroad while undermining it at home.

“Recent backsliding on fossil fuels and environmental protections risks reducing Scotland’s climate ambitions to a branding exercise”, she said.

“True climate leadership is not a photo opportunity nor slogan.”

Urging ministers to use next month’s budget to prove their environmental mettle, she continued: “That means increasing Climate Justice Fund investment from year one of this Parliament, implementing a sky-high private jet tax and introducing a presumption against new oil and gas exploration.

“The challenge now isn’t just helping people live with climate breakdown. It’s tackling the pollution and profiteering that fuel it.”

Ms Martin responded: “Climate leadership requires action both at home and internationally.

“This government has taken world-leading action to lower greenhouse gas emissions — which have more than halved since 1990 — to restore biodiversity and nature and to find sustainable solutions for our environment and economy.”

Climate Crisis / 9 November 2026 Two weeks of protests planned at Treasury as Cop31 climate summit begins 9 November 2026 As ministers head to Cop31, climate campaigners are taking their fight to the Treasury, demanding Labour abandons new fossil fuel projects and steps up its green ambitions