THIS week, the EU’s climate service warned for the first time that global warming exceeded 1.5C over a period of 12 months. This is one of the clearest warnings we have ever had that climate change is here right now and it is getting worse.

Locally in East Lothian, the area has seen large investment on numerous renewable projects with onshore and offshore wind farms. Further developments, including investment in battery energy storage and solar projects, are expected in the region. These projects are good for the environment and create jobs. But how we consume energy requires a long-term plan and significant investment from the UK Government, where the responsibility lies. Our homes must become more energy-efficient, our transportation and businesses must consume higher rates of renewable energy, and the electricity grid urgently needs upgraded to cope with more renewable projects.

These are the actions countries all across Europe are investing in right now. However, I was staggered to hear that last week the Labour Party confirmed they had ditched their £28-billion-a-year green energy pledge. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Green Prosperity Plan would create “good new jobs in communities throughout Britain” and “protect our planet”. I would tend to agree.

In a visit to Scotland last March, Sir Keir Starmer promised his plans, which have now been ditched, would deliver more than 50,000 new direct and indirect jobs in the renewable energy sector in Scotland alone over a decade.

Abandoning climate action is not just morally bankrupt, it’s economically illiterate and risks putting Scotland’s net-zero transition and green jobs at risk.

We need to invest now to secure growth, clean energy and cheaper bills – and £28 billion is the bare minimum required when the US, EU and China are investing trillions. Labour’s latest policy to attract Tory voters is a major setback for Scotland.