NICOLA Sturgeon has hit back at Richard Leonard for suggesting Scotland could do more about green jobs, despite powers being reserved to Westminster. 

At the First Minister’s Programme for Government she outlined how the £1.6 billion of the £2bn announced last year as part of the Scottish Government’s Green New Deal would be allocated.

Sturgeon said that £100 million will be pumped into a green jobs fund, half of which will be used to help firms grow in low carbon sectors and the other allowing them to take advantage of investment in the low carbon economy.

Leonard said his party would welcome many of the proposals in the Programme for Government.

The Scottish Labour leader said: “The First Minister has today promised a plan for new green jobs.

“But we have heard these promises before repeatedly, meanwhile multimillion-pound contracts go overseas and less than a third of the jobs promised materialise.”

The First Ministerhit back, saying making sure Scotland enjoyed the benefits of renewable projects was an “uphill struggle” due to powers being reserved to Westminster.

She said: “If Richard Leonard wants to will the ends of something he has to also will the means and I look forward to having his support for these arguments in future.”

A further £62m fund will be used for the transition of oil and gas businesses to low carbon output, with £60m to support the net zero ambitions of the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

At least £250m will be invested in peatland restoration, the First Minister said.

She also announced that the Scottish Government will launch the first round of its green investment portfolio, which will market £1bn of low carbon projects to international investors.