The majority of delegates voted in favour of Scotland’s existing moratorium against fracking, but many called for an even harder line against the controversial extraction process.
Conference attendees took to social media to describe a “massive cheer” when party members called for a complete ban on fracking.
The debate concluded with a vote in which 550 delegates voted in favour of the Scottish government’s current moratorium, while 427 delegates voted for the resolution to be sent back to include a total ban on fracking.
According to The Guardian no-one at the debate voiced support for shale gas, but calls for a ban received “enthusiastic applause”.
The resolution cleared with the conference voicing support of the moratorium but including calls for the Scottish government to “consider extending the current moratorium on ‘fracking’ to include the technologies used in underground coal gasification and unconventional gas extraction.”
SNP energy spokesman Callum McCaig said following the vote that the Scottish government’s “cautious and considered approach” to unconventional energy extraction is “a million miles from the gung-ho approach of the Westminster government”.
He also called for the Scotland Bill to include power over the licensing of underground coal gasification, in the same that the Scottish parliament is set to have powers over the licensing of onshore unconventional oil and gas.
“We may have come to expect this incoherent, illogical and piecemeal approach to devolution from Westminster but, frankly, it’s just not good enough,” he said.