Scotland

Over the last five days The Herald and The Ferret have published a series of in-depth reports ahead of COP26, offering readers exclusive insight into the current state of Scotland’s environment. The Ferret also wanted to give space to some of the hundreds of people across Scotland who are thinking through, and working on solutions, and so for the final day of our series we spoke to those with innovative and inspiring ideas to help tackle the crisis – voices that are often sidelined. We asked them to outline their vision for how Scotland could create a more sustainable and hopeful future. Climate expert Professor James Curran, who chairs Climate Ready Clyde, thinks Scotland has “lost its mojo” on the environment, after years of cuts to agencies, research and monitoring. “Things have now got so bad that, globally by 2050, about $60tn is needed to fix climate change and ecosystems. For those huge sums, private sector investors, actually in self-interest, have to shift money into a circular economy and nature-based solutions. “They, and we, must also push governments everywhere for stronger commitments. Scotland can only be a healthy, respected, progressive and economically attractive country if it reignites its ambition and inspires the private sector.” Fraser Stewart, green activist and University of Strathclyde researcher. “Tackling climate change is a chance to tackle health inequalities – to alleviate fuel poverty and create jobs and shift power and profit away from those destroying ecosystems into local communities and places. “But we can only do these things if we are prepared to seriously challenge those responsible for emissions and environmental damage through enforcement and taxation, and to invest that into the just transition our country, environment and planet demands.” Jess Pepper, a Climate Reality leader, wants Scotland to stop spending money on “exacerbating the ecological and climate emergency”. “Embracing a bolder vision for a sustainable Scotland can and should engage, involve and deliver for everyone,” she says. “A route map to 2030 could bring focus to the scale and pace of action required to achieve this vision. With clear roles and milestones for every sector and regular progress reports to the people of Scotland, this could improve scrutiny, quickly shed light where progress is lacking, ensure urgent delivery where it is needed most and secure hope for a sustainable future.”

Ferret 24th Oct 2021 read more »

Scottish motorists face the prospect of tight restrictions on where they are allowed to drive, under plans to cut emissions drawn up by advisers to the SNP government. An 80-page report commissioned by the national transport agency warns that more must be done to make travel by car less convenient and push people towards public transport, walking, cycling and e-bikes. The paper, produced ahead of the Cop26 climate change summit which gets under way in Glasgow next weekend, warns that “major changes in the way people travel will be needed, alongside technology” if Scotland is to contribute its “fair share” of emission reductions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The plans call on policymakers to “reduce the convenience of private car use” by looking to cities such as Paris and Oslo, which have made motoring less attractive “by removing road and parking spaces, reducing car speed limits, and forcing cars to drive around the city centre instead of being able to pass through it”. The Scottish government has already committed to taking steps to cut car use by 20 per cent by 2030 and the recent SNP-Green deal makes new road building difficult. A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: “This independent research illustrates the scale of the challenge for transport as we transition to net-zero. Cars account for nearly 40 per cent of transport emissions and their predominance cannot be overlooked. But we know how ingrained car use is and do not underestimate the challenges. Also, it must be remembered that a key policy lever on car use is fuel duty which is reserved to the UK government. Despite requests from Scottish ministers to enter into a dialogue on how it will evolve in future, no meaningful engagement has taken place.”

Times 24th oct 2021 read more »

The Scottish Government has missed its targets on reducing climate emissions in five of the seven sectors set out in its 2018 plan to tackle climate change.

Herald 23rd Oct 2021 read more »

The Scottish Government has missed its targets on reducing climate emissions in five of the seven sectors set out in its 2018 plan to tackle climate change. Environmental activists said the missed targets painted a “disappointing picture of widespread failure” on emissions reductions. They worry that static or increasing annual emissions in key sectors mean Scotland risks squandering good progress made in other areas. Emissions from transport are the furthest off course and it remains Scotland’s highest emitting sector. It produced 1.3 million tonnes more GHGs than it would have had its target for 2019 been met. The second-highest emitting sector, industry, was also the second-furthest off course. It produced 500,000 tonnes more than its 2019 target, but did show an 8.5 per cent decrease in annual emissions from 2018. The other three sectors lagging behind their targets – waste, services and the residential sector – either remained at the same level as 2018 or showed only incremental cuts. The services category includes emissions from public and private sector buildings.

The Ferret 23rd Oct 2021 read more »

AN INDEPENDENT Scotland could provide a “fantastic example” of the kind of radical change needed to save the planet, according to leading environmental campaigner George Monbiot. Speaking ahead of the ­Festival of Politics in Scotland this week, he said even though the 2014 referendum had not resulted in ­independence, one of the great achievements of the Yes campaign had been to show how to create a mass movement in the 21st century with “great panache”.

The National 17th Oct 2021 read more »

Homeowners face energy bill rises of up to £800 while properties fall in value under Scottish government plans to enforce the removal of gas boilers, a report says. Under the Heat in Buildings strategy, which was unveiled last week by the SNP-Green administration, one million homes will be converted to “zero emissions heat” by 2030. A consultation analysis document, published by the Scottish government, found that the risk most identified by respondents centred on fears that the move could force families into fuel poverty. “It was reported that, based on assumptions and solutions currently available, getting to net zero could add between £200 and £800 per year to household energy bills,” the report said.

Times 13th Oct 2021 read more »