Climate Justice Fund no replacement for concerted action on carbon emissions

Commenting on news today (1 March) that the Scottish Government will launch a ‘Climate Justice Fund’ this spring in response to the impact of climate change on the world’s poorest communities, Stan Blackley, Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Chief Executive, said:

“While Friends of the Earth Scotland very much welcomes the creation of a Scottish climate justice fund, and supports all efforts to reduce the negative impact of climate change on the world’s poorest people, this fund is no replacement for concerted effort by the Scottish Government on tackling climate change. Rather than helping poorer countries adapt to the problems caused by climate change, Scottish Ministers should be doing much more to help stop these problems from existing in the first place.

“At present, the Scottish Government is just not doing enough to reduce Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions and to tackle climate change, and much of the Scottish Government’s policy and practice, such as its massive road building programme and unswerving support for the oil and gas industries, flies in the face of any idea of climate justice, as these will lead to increased carbon emissions and an acceleration of climate change that will continue to impact most on the world’s poorest.”

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland
 t: 0131 243 2719

Notes to Editors

1. Scotland to launch Climate Justice Fund
www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/03/climate-justice01032012

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland is * Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation * An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland * Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups – covering every continent.
www.foe-scotland.org.uk