CAMPAIGNERS have hit out at Scotland’s climate-wrecking roads programme, which is due to double in size despite the SNP’s climate emergency pledge. 

Transform Scotland’s Roads to Ruin study, released today, found ministers intended to nearly double their spending on new roads over the next decade. 

The group said the government must call for road-building to stop, as transport was the largest source of emissions and there was no progress in reducing these for 30 years.

It has instead called for investment to be switched into zero-emission public transport and active travel. 

Transform Scotland director Colin Howden said: “The case for new roads was built on forecasts of unceasing growth in road traffic. But this is now an outdated and unsustainable approach. 

“The Scottish ministers need to be sending Transport Scotland’s army of roads engineers for retraining so they are instead better equipped to deliver low-carbon infrastructure.

“It would be a national embarrassment for Scottish ministers to fail to show leadership in this area in the run-up to COP26 in Glasgow.”

The group’s calls come the day after the UN set out the scale of effort needed to head off dangerous global climate instability.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said its strategy was clear that they will not build infrastructure to cater for forecasts of increases in traffic volumes. 

He said that future considerations will be outlined in a review later this year, including identifying transport interventions which help deliver its commitment to create a net-zero emissions economy.

The spokesman said all major projects were subject to assessment to minimise the environmental impacts, but, he said, that needed to be balanced with delivering high-quality infrastructure.