At least £1bn of North Sea revenues should be set aside to help areas dependent on oil and gas to switch to a greener economy, Nicola Sturgeon has argued.

The First Minister wants to see areas such as Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland "supported to make the transition to new low or no carbon industries".

The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast the UK's oil and gas sector will raise £8.5bn in revenue over the next five years.

And the SNP is calling for that cash to be ring-fenced in its entirety, to fund efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

But the Scottish Greens lambasted the proposals as "meaningless doublespeak".

Sturgeon argued at least £1bn should be set aside for areas such as the north-east, Falkirk and Shetland where the oil and gas industry is a major employer.

She said: "The SNP will never argue for the oil and gas industry to be shut down overnight."

The First Minister, campaigning in Aberdeen in the run-up to next month's general election, said: "We must do everything in our power to tackle the climate crisis and Scotland has set the most ambitious legal targets in the world.

"But we also have to ensure that areas like the north-east of Scotland, where the economy has been built on the oil and gas industry, are supported to make the transition to new low or no carbon industries."

Ministers have already committed Scotland to achieving net zero emissions by 2045.

Sturgeon said "ring-fencing" cash from oil and gas revenues and investing it in a net-zero fund could help "deliver real benefits to these communities and to our environment".

She added: "The SNP has long-argued that revenues from oil and gas should be invested for the long term, rather than fund day-to-day spending.

"Westminster failed to set up an oil fund, where Norway's is now worth one trillion dollars and is investing hugely in the low carbon economy.

"We should seize the opportunity to ensure we do not waste future revenues in the same way.

"We need to take urgent action to diversify our transport and energy sources, and to speed that up, tax revenues from oil and gas should be invested directly in the transition."

Commenting on the SNP proposal, Green MSP Ross Greer tweeted: "Meaningless doublespeak when the SNP are committed to maximum oil & gas extraction past 2050 ie. 20 years past the point of no return for the planet.

"Want a jobs-rich & just transition? #VoteGreen2019"

The Scottish Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, have laid out a five-point plan for a "brighter future", including tackling climate change.

Campaigning in Galashiels on Monday, party leader Willie Rennie pledged a Lib Dem government would seek to have 80% of UK electricity derived from renewables by 2030 and would insulate all low-income homes by 2025.

He said: "There are priorities that both of Scotland's governments should be focused on tackling, instead of letting the debates about Brexit and independence rage on and on."

Elsewhere, Scottish Labour has said Scottish independence is not an issue for the general election.

Paul Sweeney, the shadow minister for Scotland, said the question of indyref2 is one that should be put at the forefront of the 2021 Holyrood election.

Speaking in Glasgow, Sweeney said: "The reality is this isn't an issue for this election. The reality is this is an issue for the Scottish Parliament election in 2021.

"We've been clear that if a mandate were to happen, then no government in the UK could stand against that, even the Tories have admitted that's the case.

"We're saying it's not an issue for this election. Let's focus on getting a Labour government into power that can invest in our public services.

"The issue of independence can be discussed at the Scottish Parliament elections."