• Water sector investigations: Doesn’t even begin to address sewage scandal
• Reaching net zero is ambitious but achievable if SNP ditch familiar excuses

Water sector investigations: Doesn’t even begin to address sewage scandal

Commenting to the Government’s announcement into the number of criminal investigations into environmental breaches by water companies, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

81 investigations does not even begin to address the sewage scandal that has plagued British rivers and seas for far too long.

This is a national scandal which got far worse under the Conservatives’ watch. Their record is one of rising sewage levels and water firms stuffing their pockets with cash.

And now, the Government’s attempt to tackle the crisis is a job half done. A toothless regulator will fail to end the scandal of multi-million pound bonuses for sewage dumpers.

The Liberal Democrats have long led the campaign to replace Ofwat with a new regulator with proper enforcement power. We will continue to hold the Government and polluting water companies accountable.

Reaching net zero is ambitious but achievable if SNP ditch familiar excuses

Responding to the embargoed advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) setting out the level of Scotland’s four carbon budgets covering the period up to 2045, Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

The Climate Change Committee has set out an ambitious but achievable plan for Scotland. It has also made clear that the Scottish Government has devolved powers to deliver the necessary emissions reductions in key sectors like buildings, surface transport, agriculture, and land use. That means the old familiar SNP excuses will not wash.

To date the Scottish Government haven’t delivered when it comes to the hard graft of insulating homes, creating good green jobs and making sure everyone benefits from the transition to net zero.

If Scotland is going to meet its vital net zero targets then we are going to need more than just hot air from the Scottish Government.

To bring down bills and emissions Scottish Liberal Democrats would rapidly insulate homes, drive a rooftop solar revolution, install thousands more EV chargers and overhaul community benefit rules so that local communities get a proper share of the wealth from the renewables rollout on their doorstep.