The UK Government has been accused of “hypocrisy of the lowest order” for pledging to double funds for clean energy research – just days after it axed £1billion for carbon capture and storage development.
Plans for a world-leading project at Peterhead were scuppered last week when the plug was pulled on a competition for the money.
But as crucial climate change talks got underway in Paris, the White House confirmed the UK is one of 20 countries that has committed to double investment in clean energy research over five years.
Stewart Stevenson, Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP, denounced the UK Government’s actions as “posturing as environmentally-friendly on the world stage”.
The claim came as more than 150 heads of state and government attended the first day of the UN negotiations.
At the start of the summit, the Prince of Wales told world leaders that humanity faced no greater threat than climate change, calling for immediate action to tackle rising temperatures.
But speaking ahead of the talks, Sir David Attenborough warned he was not confident a plan of action would be agreed, cautiously adding there was a “chance something might come out of it”.
He also indicated he did not think the UK Government’s approach to renewable energy was going in the right direction.
The SNP chose the moment to repeat its frustration at the decision to cut the CCS competition.
Mr Stevenson welcomed the progress that Mission Innovation, as the global commitment has been named, represented.
But he added: “For the UK Government to posture on clean energy on the world stage just days after cutting a £1billion project here at home is completely outrageous and hypocrisy of the lowest order.
“The decision to cut this vital project won’t just cost 600 jobs in the north-east of Scotland, it is a huge missed opportunity to help Scotland become a global leader on green energy technology.”
President Barack Obama called the talks an “act of defiance” against terrorism and pressed leaders to fight the “notion we can’t do anything”.
The negotiations, which will last two weeks, are aimed at finalising a global agreement to cut carbon emissions.
On CCS, a Department for Energy and Climate Change spokesman said “difficult decisions” had to be made in a “tight financial settlement”.