Scotland's Shame as Major Climate Change Polluter
Fri., August 27, 2004. 00:00.
Greens today welcomed the addition of a climate change indicator in the annual Smart, Successful Scotland report - but highlighted that Scotland remains a major international polluter and that the Executive is failing to protect communities and businesses from future weather chaos (1).
Greens today welcomed the addition of a climate change indicator in the annual Smart, Successful Scotland report - but highlighted that Scotland remains a major international polluter and that the Executive is failing to protect communities and businesses from future weather chaos (1).
Both A Smart Successful Scotland and the Executive's Partnership Agreement emphasise the need for the economic growth to become more environmentally sustainable - yet as well as failing to slash CO2 emissions, Executive transport policies are fuelling a growth in air and road traffic levels (2).
Scotland remains the UK's worst climate polluter at 12 tonnes of CO2 per person in 2000 compared to 9.3 for the UK (p10) and a recent Westminster Inquiry concluded that UK action as a whole was 'way off course'. (3) Scotland comes 21 when compared with 27 OECD countries, and is a worse polluter than leading economies such as Germany, France, Japan and Ireland.
Shiona Baird MSP, Green Speaker on Enterprise, said, "Scotland's shameful record on CO2 emissions show we are contributing to climate change more than countries such as Germany, Japan and Ireland. These depressing figures are hardly surprising given the Executive's token support for renewable energy and insistence on building new roads. When it comes to protecting the environment our economy depends on, ministers are neither smart nor successful.
"It is encouraging to see CO2 included in the report, but we need to go a lot further - examining consumption of resources and sustainability of key sectors for example - if we are to have a complete picture of Scotland's economic development and the impact on the environment."
Today's report also backs Green energy policy by highlighting "the necessity of rapidly deploying renewable energy options such as wind power on the scale necessary . . . while increasing energy efficiency in transport, business and households." (p11).
Ms Baird described the Executive approach to energy efficiency and renewable energy as "inadequate, poorly funded and undermined by other policies which simply serve to make matters worse."
Last week landslips and flooding brought havoc to communities, businesses and transport links across the country. Greens have called for climate change to be one of the first debates in the new Holyrood building and for other MSPs to back their campaign for concerted effort and commitment from the Executive to tackle the porblem (4).
Greens want to see the Executive "climate-proof" all spending and policy to prevent Scots facing more disruption and expense as climate change continues.
1. See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/MP%20Report%202004.pdf
2. See http://www.scottishexecutive.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/08/27100257
3. Figures released last July showed that Scotland is falling behind the rest of the UK in reducing its climate change emissions. Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by only 4.9% since 1990 - less than half the 12.8% average achieved by the UK as a whole. For carbon dioxide (CO2), the main climate change gas, Scotland managed only a 2.6% reduction compared to the UK average of 7.5%.
View the report at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmenvaud.htm
4. Motion lodged in the Scottish Parliament by Mark Ruskell MSP:
That the parliament notes the UK Environment Audit Committee report 'Budget 2004 and Energy' which concludes that action on climate change is 'seriously off course'; notes the likelihood of failure in achieving UK carbon emission reduction targets and the complete absence of any targets in Scotland; recognises with growing concern the damage that climate change is inflicting on Scotland's people, environment and economy; is appalled that Scotland lags behind the rest of the UK in reducing emissions and calls on the Scottish Executive to 'climate-proof' all spending and policy decisions, in particular to address the growing pollution from rising traffic levels and the Executive's massive road-building plans which are making the situation worse.
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.