Highland Greens call for Audit Scotland investigation into council's slow net zero progress
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Hundreds of people have joined climate marches and demonstrations and signed petitions over the years asking Highland Council to take bold action to put the breaks on climate change – but many believe there is not nearly enough being done.
In 2019 the council committed to net zero climate changing emissions by 2025. They recently abandoned this pledge in favour of the less ambitious date of 2045. Now, it seems not enough work is being done to reach this new target either.
Anne Thomas, the Scottish Green candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross said: "We are seeing that climate change is more and more evident with extreme weather disrupting farming and transport and destroying homes, wildlife and infrastructure. We were trying to avoid average global temperatures hitting 1.5 degrees above the average temperature before we started to burn a lot fossil fuels, but we already got to that last year and the global temperature rise shows no signs of slackening, so we need to know our Council is doing all it can".
Chris Ballance, Green councillor for Aird and Loch Ness, today called for Audit Scotland to investigate Highland Council’s progress to net zero.
Speaking at the Audit Committee, cllr Ballance asked: “Looking at the wider scope of the legal requirements on the council, does Audit Scotland have any plans to scrutinise the council’s progress towards its statutory requirements to reach net zero?”
Claire Gardiner, Audit Scotland’s Director of audit of Highland Council responded: “This is an area of work we are carrying out across Scotland. It is very likely that there will be more audit in this area in the following years.”
Speaking after the meeting, cllr Ballance said: “I welcome Audit Scotland’s commitment to scrutinise Highland Council’s progress towards net zero. Several years ago the council declared a climate emergency and set a target for a carbon neutral Highlands by 2025 – but did nothing and made almost no progress and this target has been simply abandoned. Now we have a legal duty to reach net zero it is imperative that real action is now taken and real progress made and I hope Audit Scotland will keep the council’s feet to the fire (literally) on this one.”
