Executive Climate Change Programme Exposed as 'Cooking the Books'
Thu., June 08, 2006. 11:57.
Greens reality check report challenges Executive claims to be getting serious on climate change
Ahead of the climate change debate today (8th June) in the Scottish Parliament, Green MSPs have published a critique, using the Executive's own figures, to show that the major claims in the document are misleading and amount to little more than a 'PR exercise' to cover up contradictory Executive policies and lack of serious action.
The Green report reveals that the Executive's 'Scottish Share Plus' is not a genuine target and is 'grossly misleading'. Contrary to Executive claims that 'Scotland is making reassuring strides in reducing its own emissions’, Greens show that emissions have remained static since Jack McConnell became First Minister. Most of any 'savings' are a result of the closure of heavy industry like Ravenscraig and not the result of government policy. Moreover, the report shows that energy use and transport, which account for over half of Scotland’s emissions, are on the increase. (1)
Mark Ruskell MSP, Green Speaker on the Environment, who has lodged a bill for a serious climate pollution reduction target, said: "Mr Finnie's 'Scottish Share' is an exercise in smoke and mirrors, designed to distract attention from the reality of Executive failure to take serious action. It simply adds up a total amount of carbon emissions that might be saved in some areas, but it conveniently leaves out all the carbon pollution growth in others. Increases in emissions from expansion of aviation and the building of massive motorways are not included and will negate any savings made elsewhere.
"It is rather like an accountant only assessing savings and ignoring expenditure, or a football team not counting goals conceded."
Some of the other key points in the document include:
- Executive claims to have ‘...reviewed its strategic approach to tackling climate change and has strengthened it.’ On the contrary, the Executive is proposing to drop its Road Traffic Reduction target. The Executive is also committed to a billion-pound motorway building programme (including Aberdeen Bypass and M74 Extension) and is subsidising increased aviation through the Air Route Development Fund. Emissions in energy use and transport are on the increase.
- The Executive is resisting an overall climate change target, claiming that it does not have control of all the policy levers relating to climate change. However the Executive has other targets such as economic growth and teenage pregnancy where Ministers do not have control of all policy levers. Why is climate change different? Green MSP Mark Ruskell has responded by proposing a Bill that would set a year-on-year reductions target for overall Greenhouse Gas emissions - and is challenging all political parties to support it if they are really serious about addressing climate change.
- The Executive has rejected key recommendations of the Scottish Parliament’s inquiry into Climate change. Including the refusal to set an energy efficiency target, failed to submit a response to the UK Energy Review during the consultation period and ditched traffic reduction targets. The Executive also opposed a Green amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Bill that would have introduced a target for energy efficiency in Scotland’s housing.
See the Green MSPs' report Cooking the Books.
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.