Patrick Harvie will make call at party conference to ‘insulate Scotland’

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie will say at his party’s conference that insulating Scotland can help protect the country from “turbulent fossil fuel markets” which destroy the planet.

Mr Harvie, Scottish Government Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, will state that tackling fuel poverty and energy efficiency will protect vulnerable households from volatile global energy prices.

He is expected to announce measures to extend the support offered to households to improve energy efficiency in homes to tackle rising energy bills.

The Scottish Greens conference is taking place in Stirling on Saturday.

Mr Harvie is expected to say: “Conference, we need to insulate Scotland. Against our northern hemisphere cold. Against the blight of fuel poverty. And against reliance on turbulent fossil fuel markets which bloat brutal regimes and destroy our planet.

“That is why my first major statement as a minister set a target of converting over a million homes to zero emissions heating by the end of this decade; and why we are already seeing the first allocations of our £1.8bn funding over this Parliament.”

With Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater, he will also set out what the party has already delivered in government, such as free bus travel for young people, the doubling of the Scottish Child payment and record investment in recycling.

Mr Harvie will say: “Our movement has always known that tackling the climate crisis and tackling poverty go hand in hand.

“Building a greener future means leaving no-one behind. Now we are bringing that approach to government.”