Climate change threatens our way of life in this country and around the world. We should not be pushing the boundaries of our planet to the limit, we should be passing on a sustainable legacy to our children. That is why the Scottish Liberal Democrats will invest in warm homes and low-carbon transport. We are planning for a future beyond fossil fuels, with new support for the renewable industry and an outright ban on fracking. We can’t afford to open up a whole new front of carbon-based fuels that distract from our focus on renewables.

Our development has too often been marked by rapid growth of sectors followed by unplanned and chaotic decline, with all the disruption and human cost that implies. It happened to Scottish industries as diverse as linen and coal, it’s happening to steel, and the demise of the remaining fossil fuel industries is beginning. We must anticipate and manage this decline. We will support Scotland’s energy industries to begin a large-scale transition into renewable energy generation, design and research. Our report Jobs in Scotland’s New Economy shows how to create more jobs in sustainable development than currently exist in fossil fuels.

Sustainable development is at the heart of our programme for Scotland. We’ve legislated on land reform and empowered communities to take neglected land and buildings into their own hands. We have beaten our ambitious target of generating 50% of Scotland’s electricity consumption coming from renewables. Our new manufacturing plan puts the circular economy and waste reduction at the heart of our economic strategy and we will embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals into our actions as a government.

Reducing the length of supply chains is important and that includes ensuring urban communities are more closely linked to the source of our food sustains us. We want to see greater protection for Scotland’s seas and coasts coupled with a comprehensive marine monitoring strategies, and we will bring forward sustainable fisheries policies. We'd introduce a Warm Homes Act to bring clean and affordable warmth to households and businesses in Scotland, and we’ll support a 'civic energy' future so that communities are closer to the energy they generate and use. It is vital new and existing development is made more sustainable by improving access to safe, integrated travel systems. Finally we would ban fracking UCG and forms of unconventional gas in Scotland.

One element in our manifesto will be increasing the number of national parks. It's estimated that would cost around £8 million to create, but the economic benefits through tourism would soon outweigh that. It would also allow protection for treasured areas of land, and involve communities more in their local landscapes.

Scottish Liberal Democrats believe in and want to support Scotland’s biodiversity. Yes, there have been some species driven out over the centuries and it’s only right to consider whether or not they can be successfully reintroduced back into the country. The approach we will take is an evidence-based one, driven by advice from the scientific community on whether or not the reintroduction of a species should go ahead. We also think it is important for local communities to be given the chance to have their say over how a new neighbour moving in might affect them.

Of course – we’ve led the way on this. We support large scale ecological restoration projects of native flora and fauna, such as the continued restoration of internationally-important peatlands, and coastal machair habitats. We want to create new national parks, improve animal welfare, and improve marine planning. We must have sustainable farming methods, with healthy soils. We want flood defences, climate-ready neighbourhoods, and other environmental protection measures. And we want an outright ban – not a temporary moratorium – on fracking. Because you can’t sensibly talk about restoring nature while at the same time countenancing its destruction.

Scottish Labour believe restoring and enhancing our biodiversity has a vital role in our economic and employment strategy. Where decisions are made to re-wild species and restore ecosystems, Scottish Labour believes it should be done so with careful consultation rooted in thorough research assessing potential impacts of any decision, with any restoration subject to ongoing strategic management. Restoration, done well, can positively impact upon many sectors such as tourism, food and drink, farming, fishing and forestry; with further impacts to our health, by way of high quality air, land and water, benefits communities in Scotland.

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