Budgeting for the Climate Crisis
“Budgeting for the Climate Crisis” is a podcast miniseries where we hear from three experts on what the Scottish budget means for our climate ambitions, and how young people can make their voices heard to influence future Scottish budgets.
In the first episode we chat to Patrick Harvie, Co-Convenor of the Scottish Green Party, about tackling emissions and supporting a green recovery from COVID-19 through the Scottish budget.
In the second episode of the series we chat to Stefanie O’Gorman, Director of Economics at Ramboll and member of the Climate Emergency Response Group (CERG), about the extent to which the Scottish budget reflects the climate emergency.
In the final episode of the series, we chat to Caroline Rance, climate and energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland about how climate spending is calculated in the Scottish budget and how young people can get involved in influencing the budget.
What is the Scottish Budget?
Every year, the Scottish Government sets out a plan to spend the money it receives from the UK Government and from taxes raised in Scotland. The government then introduces a Budget Bill, which is scrutinised by MSPs and needs to be approved by the Scottish Parliament. The 2021 Scottish Budget sets out the proposed spending and tax plans for the following year. Tackling the climate emergency will require significant financial investment - the Scottish Budget gives us an insight into where our government is focusing its efforts and at what pace.
Why did we make this podcast miniseries?
In the run up to the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections - which are fast approaching on May 6th - we feel that it is more important than ever for voters to understand how and where the government allocates spending. The COVID-19 pandemic and the accelerating climate crisis have placed 2021 as a pivotal year for our political leaders to map out a budget that will support a green recovery and a net zero transition. This is why we wanted to hear from a range of experts who each have a unique role in the budget development process:
Patrick Harvie is Co-Convenor of the Scottish Green Party, and sat on the committee that scrutinised the 2021 budget
Stefanie O’Gorman is part of the Climate Emergency Response Group (CERG), which aims to inform and influence the Scottish Government's response to the climate emergency
Caroline Rance is a campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland, who are calling on the government to make sure that their Budget delivers on their commitment to a ‘green recovery’, by investing in a green jobs recovery that will create thousands of new jobs and cut climate emissions
Further information on the 2021 Scottish Budget
Full 2021 Scottish Budget: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2021-22/
Summary 2021 Scottish Budget: https://spice-spotlight.scot/2021/03/10/budget-2021-22-a-tripartite-deal/
The budget process: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/the-scottish-budget-process