Meeting of the Parliament 22 January 2026 [Draft]
If the bill progresses, there is ample opportunity to look at exactly how we can use all the levers at our disposal to get ourselves into as strong a position as possible.
We must also make clear that the duty to act should be prioritised over all other duties, especially when there is a conflict. For example, Scottish Enterprise is under a duty to promote industrial growth, but such growth without any reference to sustainability and wellbeing is a recipe for climate breakdown and social injustice.
The climate crisis that we face means that we must take radical climate action, not just here and there, not just a little bit and not just by some while others are left out. We need nothing less than radical—some might say revolutionary—climate action. To do that, we need a system that ensures that everything that we do makes our future more sustainable and liveable and that ensures that climate and social justice are done now and in the future.
The bill is a really good start and could be strengthened, as I outlined in my response to Sarah Boyack. Those who do not support the bill today will have to answer to their younger constituents when they are asked why, given that time is so badly running out, they did not take every opportunity to create a sustainable future for them and for future generations.