A coalition of green groups have demanded the next First Minister “urgently pick up the pace” in tackling climate and nature breakdown.
The Stop Climate Chaos Scotland alliance of charities said all candidates to replace Nicola Sturgeon must “prioritise” addressing the twin environmental crises.
In a new joint letter, SCCS and Scottish Environment LINK - who together represent the vast majority of eco charities - warned despite some progress under Sturgeon, changes weren’t being made “nearly fast enough”.
It follows a damning report by climate experts last year which blamed SNP-Green ministers for a “trend of failure” in meeting key emissions targets.
Writing to SNP leadership candidates Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, the charities acknowledged the “positive actions” taken on the environment under the current First Minister’s government.
They said these included passing ambitious climate targets into law, providing international leadership on wildlife protection and committing finance to help poorer nations with loss and damage inflicted by climate change.
But the letter added the next FM must deliver faster action to reduce emissions - and also urged them to take an “unequivocal stance” against any new North Sea drilling.
It comes as the Scottish Government’s new draft Energy Strategy - one of the final key documents published under Sturgeon’s tenure - commits ministers to a “presumption” against new fossil fuel projects. However, oil and gas licensing remains reserved to Westminster.
Mike Robinson, chairman of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said: "Scotland's next first minister must renew and deepen Scotland's status as a credible climate champion both at home and internationally.
"While Scotland is seen by many as a leader on climate, the reality is that progress has been nowhere near fast enough.
"With seven of the last 11 emission reduction targets missed, all three candidates to be the next first minister should publicly commit to prioritising climate action and that they would urgently pick up the pace of delivering solutions, if elected.
"The good news is that many of these positive changes bring wider benefits and would also address the other overlapping crises we face, through making our homes warmer, tackling inequality and securing more sustainable jobs."
The letter identifies several key opportunities for the new first minister to drive action on climate and nature, such as via the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, the upcoming Climate Change Plan and reform to agricultural support.
It says that sustained new investment is needed to tackle the climate and nature emergencies and emphasises the need to review the fiscal measures available to raise new and additional sources of finance by making polluters pay for their damage.
Deborah Long, chief officer at Scottish Environment Link, said: "Protecting our environment is the biggest challenge facing humanity, and it's essential that those seeking to be First Minister commit to treating the planet as a priority.
"This is a vital decade for action - and there are enormous opportunities for Scotland to restore iconic habitats and protect the abundance and diversity of our wildlife.
"We all depend on a healthy natural environment, and nature is the first line of defence against climate change. But Scotland has suffered a high rate of historic nature loss and faces even bigger threats today.
"We hope that all political leaders can embrace this challenge."
A scathing report in December by the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s independent advisers on emissions-cutting policies, warned Scotland’s net zero targets were “at risk of becoming meaningless” due to a lack of a clear delivery plan.
It said despite “bold targets” - such as a net zero by 2045 aim, and plans to cut emissions by 75 per cent by 2030 - there was no “coherent explanation” for how they would be achieved.
The CCC report said Scotland had fallen behind on key metrics like home energy efficiency, restoring peatlands and electric vehicle take-up, adding: “Scotland’s lead in decarbonising over the rest of the UK has now been lost.”
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