01
April
2020
UN Glasgow climate summit delayed until 2021
Friends of the Earth Scotland & Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland statement reacting to the announcement delay to the UN Climate Summit, which had been scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November 2020. Friends of the Earth Scotland Director Dr Richard Dixon commented, “Giv
01
April
2020
Coronavirus delay to Scottish Government Climate Change Plan ‘understandable’
Friends of the Earth Scotland said that the Scottish Government announcement of delays to the Climate Change Plan and several other pieces of legislation were understandable given their immediate focus on the coronavirus. The environmental campaigners acknowledged that Ministers, civil servants and MSPs are dealing with the gl
25
March
2020
Call for free public transport for NHS workers
The Scottish Government has announced that it will provide bus operators with additional financial assistance to maintain essential services. Environmental campaigners are calling for people working for the NHS and other essential services to be exempted from fares through this period. Friends of the Earth Scotland Air Pollut
14
March
2020
Ineos admits defeat on Airth coalbed methane planning application
INEOS is withdrawing its planning application for unconventional gas extraction at Airth. The petrochemical giant's decision comes 5 months after the Scottish Government confirmed its position of no support for fracking. The planning application for commercial coalbed methane development near Falkirk went to public inquiry in
01
March
2020
New data show Glasgow City Council fund invests over £700 million in fossil fuels
New figures published today reveal that the Strathclyde Pension Fund (SPF), managed by Glasgow City Council, has an estimated £709 million invested in fossil fuel companies.[1] The fund provides pensions to 11 local authorities in the West of Scotland. The total investment in fossil fuels has changed negligibly since the
27
February
2020
Time to move beyond rhetoric on just transition, say Unions and environmentalists
Statement on behalf of the Just Transition Partnership The Just Transition Partnership (1) is calling for urgent action from the Scottish Government following the publication of the Interim Report of their Just Transition Commission today (27/02/2020) which has stated that the Scottish Government must act immediately to deliv
26
February
2020
Scottish Budget announcement a strong step towards changing transport
Responding to details of the budget agreement between the SNP and Scottish Greens, Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Air Pollution Campaigner Gavin Thomson said: “Scotland badly needs a shake-up in our transport system and, from the announcements so far, this budget agreement appears to represent a strong step in the right
26
February
2020
Transport statistics show political capitulation to cars
Official statistics released today demonstrate how cars continue to dominate our transport system, while bus usage continues to decline sharply. Campaigners say that the figures, released just ahead of the Scottish Parliament Budget debate, shows the need for a radical change in transport funding priorities. Friends of the Ea
18
February
2020
Dundee’s anti-pollution zone with car parking spaces is ‘absurd’
Campaigners have poured scorn on Dundee City Council’s plans to create a Low Emission Zone with massive exemptions for 3 car parks in the city centre. These car parks have spaces for over 1800 vehicles. The Council consulted on a series of options - each of which also failed to include one of the country’s most polluted stre