Climate Change: sleepwalking to Disaster
Global problems require both global and local solutions. By building an international consensus for action on climate change and for a fair deal for developing countries, we will make real progress. But it’s vital that we match our words with actions here in Scotland.
Labour talks a good game, setting ambitious targets to limit greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050. In action, Labour finances huge road-building programmes and expands airports across the UK. Labour will not provide the investment and infrastructure we need to address climate change.
There have been some improvements in air pollution, but Glasgow, for example, still regularly tops lists of Britain’s most-polluted cities. Reductions in Scotland’s emissions lag behind those of the rest of the UK, yet Labour still plans for ever-increasing traffic levels.
If we significantly reduce the burning of fossil fuels, we can begin to tackle climate change and conserve our dwindling oil reserves.
As part of our commitment to combating pollution, we want to bring Scotland’s housing and public transport into the 21st century and we do not believe the polluting aviation industry should enjoy massive subsidies.
Green MPs will work to:
- support the introduction of a global Contraction- Convergence scheme to share fairly the world’s carbon emissions between rich and poor countries;
- strengthen the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and co-ordinate a strong multinational response, which includes heavy oil users such as China and the USA;
- share our knowledge of energy efficiency and renewable energy technology with governments across the globe;
- introduce import taxes for countries that maintain an unfair trading advantage by not complying with climate change treaties;
- ensure that the UK Climate Change Programme is the most ambitious governmental programme in the world, “climate proofing” all spending decisions and government policies. Set up a UK task force headed by the Prime Minister and the First Ministers of the devolved countries, working for year-on-year reductions in greenhouse gas emissions;
- set tough emissions reduction targets for power companies and industry;
- set an energy strategy for the UK to deliver a phased withdrawal of fossil and nuclear electricity generation and ambitious energy efficiency measures in all sectors leading to a target of 40% reduction in demand by 2020 and establish renewable energy targets for fuel, heating and transport;
- allocate £500 million for the development of wave and tidal resources in Scotland;
- raise investment in other renewable technologies, such as biomass and solar;
- upgrade the electricity grid to get renewable electricity into centres of population;
- develop the case for a sub-sea electricity grid to harness our offshore renewable energy potential;
- ensure all new public buildings include Combined Heat and Power and/or renewable energy technologies;
- make all new buildings comply with stringent energy efficiency ratings;
- end the “fuel poverty” that means the poorest families live in homes that are the most difficult to heat;
- make the price of all transport journeys more fairly reflect their cost to the environment;
- oppose the building of new airports or the planned expansion of existing facilities;
- support the Europe-wide campaign against night flights;
- end tax exemptions and other subsidies for the air industry, with the exception of subsidies for “lifeline” island services;
- encourage the introduction of urban transport systems, such as trams and light rail, and bring the railways back under public control;
- invest in high speed trains to connect Scotland with England and Europe.
Green MPs will also work to:
- protect the seas by creating a single Marine Act to make sense of the often conflicting and damaging “laws of the sea”;
- remove responsibility for control of the seabed from the Crown Estates and transfer them to the Scottish Parliament. Sporting, mineral rights and royalties should be transferred from Crown Estates to new community land trusts.