Bute House protested by environmental campaigners

Kate Whitaker of Friends of the Earth Scotland said fossil fuels are "scary" because of the harm they are causing "millions of people"."When politicians make disastrous decisions to approve new oil or gas, people get even more terrified about our collective future," she said."Giving the go ahead for a new fossil-fuelled power plant at Peterhead is a catastrophic failure from the Scottish government to protect people from both climate breakdown and the increasing burden of household energy bills."Politicians could instead help allay our fears by focusing on climate solutions that improve people's lives such as warmer homes, reliable bus services and creating green jobs."A Scottish government spokesperson said: "We remain unwavering in our commitment to tackle climate change, delivering positive climate action to achieve net zero by 2045."The full grounds for the ministers' decision are set out in the decision letter."Potential impacts on communities, nature and cultural heritage, including the cumulative effects of developments, were important considerations in the decision-making process."