Is the Power Sharing Deal an SNP Greenwash?

Photo by @markusspiske on Unplash

Nicola Sturgeon recently told Holyrood that the power sharing deal between the SNP and Scottish Greens is “a leap of faith” for both parties. The appointment of Scottish Green co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie to junior ministerial roles -the first anywhere in the UK - is a milestone for the Greens, now able to influence Scottish government policy from within. But will they be able to make their influence felt or are they being used to ‘greenwash’ the First Minister’s climate change credentials ahead of COP26?

‘Greenwashing’ is more often used to describe how companies such as Shell and ExxonMobil are accused of producing glossy advertising campaigns to make it appear that they are doing their bit to combat climate change while not actually doing anything meaningful to reduce their environmental impact.

Is it beyond the realms of possibility that a canny political operator such as the First Minister is above such cynicism? After all, the benefits are obvious. With Glasgow set to host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November, being able to tell the world that her government includes Green MSPs allows Sturgeon to claim Scotland is a “world leader” on climate change, despite activist Greta Thunberg’s scepticism. Not to mention Green support for Scottish independence.

Green party members formally approved the power sharing deal despite criticism from former co-leader Robin Harper, who called the agreement “disappointing “, with particular focus on the lack of any firm commitment from the government to explicitly oppose the proposed Cambo oil field development off the west coast of Shetland.

Of course, the Scottish government can rightly point out that energy policy is a reserved matter for the UK government, making their case for independence while not scaring off potential employers. Indeed, Sturgeon’s plea to the UK government to reassess the Cambo development was dismissed as a “PR exercise” by Greenpeace UK.

The UK Government has also come under criticism. Scottish investigative website The Ferret has reported on how it is part of a UN climate programme that allows major polluters to help decide the criteria for companies accessing COP26, despite claims it is independent. You need only look at COP26’s “principal partners” on its official website to question its commitment to seriously deal with climate change, when it partners with some of its worst offenders.

It’s also difficult to reconcile the achingly earnest, noble goals set out in the UN’s ‘170 Actions to Transform Our World’ with COP26’s partnerships with corporate titans such as Microsoft and Sky. Goal number one – “No Poverty” – is surely doomed to failure. Remember “Make Poverty History”? Frequent mentions of donating, volunteering, and sponsoring also doesn’t exactly challenge the image of climate activism being the preserve of the comfortable, white middle class who have the time and money to do so.

Bridging this gap will pose a challenge for the SNP and their new partners in government over the next parliamentary term, one that will require more than a simple leap of faith.