Scotland’s largest organised church announces its support for last weeks proposed fracking ban by the Scottish Government.
Breaking cover on the issue, the church stated on its website this week that it ‘does not believe that the practice is the best way forward.’
Accepting that the issue of drilling for Unconventional Oil and Gas was a contentious topic, the church threw its support behind low-carbon alternatives such as wind, water and tidal energy.
Church of Scotland climate change officer, Adrian Shaw, said: “We recognise that people in congregations have widely differing views but fracking was always an uncertain prospect in Scotland because of our complex geology.
“Areas that have been identified as being suitable are in the central belt, the most densely populated part of the country.”
The church went on to put its support behind the abundant natural resources of Scotland, the increased opportunity for jobs in the renewable energy sector and the potential benefits for those currently living in fuel poverty.
They added that discussions about fracking have been going on in churches since 2014.