Letter signed by all opposition parties calls for increased action to
tackle emissions
Exclusive By Rob Edwards Environment Editor
The Scottish Government is coming under mounting pressure to make new cuts
in pollution as it faces failing to meet its statutory targets for reducing
carbon emissions for the third year running.
Children collect water in the typhoon-hit city of Tacloban in the
Philippines in 2013Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
An unprecedented alliance of all the opposition parties in Holyrood is
privately urging SNP ministers to agree moves that would cut carbon
pollution from vehicles, farms, houses and government.
At the same time a Philippines diplomat, Yeb Sano, famed for weeping and
fasting at the world’s last major climate summit, has made a passionate
plea for Scotland to keep its promises and abide by its climate law.
On Tuesday, ministers are due to announce long-awaited figures on
Scotland’s carbon emissions for 2012. They are widely expected to show
that, as in 2010 and 2011, emissions will not have been reduced in line
with the levels required under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act.
This was predicted by the UK’s expert Committee on Climate Change, which
warned in March that emissions in Scotland were likely to have increased in
2012.
A combination of a cold winter, burning more coal in power stations and a
small increase in economic activity “would suggest a level of emissions
higher than the target in this year”, it said.
Part of the problem was that Scotland’s overall greenhouse gas inventory
had been revised, making it “more difficult” for Scotland to meet its legal
targets, the committee pointed out. There were two options, it argued:
adjust the targets, or find “additional opportunities to reduce emissions
that go beyond current and proposed policies”.
Leading politicians from four opposition parties are now urging ministers
to do the latter. Labour’s Claire Baker, LibDem Tavish Scott, the
Conservative’s Jamie McGrigor and the Green’s Patrick Harvie have this
weekend written to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Paul
Wheelhouse, proposing five ways of cutting pollution.
The Sunday Herald understands that the joint letter, which has not been
released, suggests action on transport, energy efficiency, housing,
agriculture and governance. The MSPs say they are making a series of
modest, constructive proposals, on which they would back ministers to help
meet future climate targets.
“There are real concerns that the news from the Scottish Government on
Tuesday won’t be good and, as the independent Committee on Climate Change
predicts, Scotland will miss the targets,” said Baker, Labour’s environment
spokesperson.
“The Parliament passed an ambitious climate change act but in each year the
targets have been missed we have only heard excuses rather than positive
action. This cannot go on and we must take steps to get Scotland back on
track.”
Harvie, the Scottish Green Party’s co-convener, argued that Holyrood had
managed to achieve consensus five years ago on the goal of cutting climate
emissions but not on the action needed. “The first few years have been
deeply concerning, but I think there’s a growing mood of support for bolder
action, and I hope the government sees the opportunity that’s before it,”
he said.
The 60-strong umbrella group, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, which organised
the joint letter from the MSPs, pointed out that the most vulnerable people
around the world were suffering from climate change. “That’s why it’s so
important that countries such as Scotland, with strong climate legislation,
ensure the promises made to reduce carbon emissions are kept,” said the
group’s co-ordinator, Gail Wilson. “As we move towards the climate talks in
Paris in 2015, we need strong examples of countries stepping up and putting
climate justice into action.
“If we find out, as expected, that this third target is missed, we hope it
will be a signal for renewed efforts and commitment from across government
to get us on track to a low-carbon economy.”
Writing exclusively for the Sunday Herald, Yeb Sano, climate change
commissioner for the Philippines, has made an impassioned plea to Scottish
ministers.
Sano hit the headlines worldwide last November with an emotional address to
delegates at the UN climate talks in Warsaw about the super-typhoon that
was laying waste his country.
According to environmental group WWF Scotland, Sano made it clear that
Scotland could be a catalyst for change and a leader on climate. “We know
we have the tools to be part of the solution, to cut air pollution, to
insulate our homes from cold winters, to protect ourselves from fossil fuel
price shocks,” said director Lang Banks.
“Faced with the destruction experienced by Yeb Sano and millions of others
across the world, we mustn’t waiver in our commitment to turn ambition into
action. We hope that news on Scotland’s third climate target will trigger a
concerted effort from the Scottish Government.”
The Scottish Government pointed out that carbon emissions had been reduced
by almost 10% between 2010 and 2011. “Our target would have been met in
carbon terms if the baseline had not been substantially increased,
retrospectively,” said a Government spokeswoman.
“We have a moral duty to act, which is why the Scottish Government
established the world’s first climate justice fund – now worth £6 million
to support climate vulnerable communities in Sub-Saharan Africa – and are
working hard to help Scotland achieve our ambitious greenhouse gas
emissions reduction targets.”
She added: “We will show international leadership in continued commitment
to our stretching targets to encourage other countries to pledge the tough
actions that will be required to limit global warming to 2C and this
message will be repeated when the minister gives his statement on the 2012
inventory on Tuesday.”
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