13
February
2019
Campaigners urge political support for Workplace Parking Levy
Campaigners have written to all five party political leaders expressing support for the Workplace Parking Levy, announced as part of the budget agreement between the SNP and the Greens. The letter, signed by groups such as Friends of the E
06
February
2019
Climate prediction means Government must ramp up action now
Newly released figures from the Met Office show that the last 4 years have the been the warmest ever on record, and the decade from 2014 to 2023 is forecast to be the hottest run of years since records began. [1] The Scottish Government’s draft Climate Bill fails to increase action in the crucial next decade to 2030.[2] Thi
04
February
2019
Westminster oil and gas report utterly complacent
Commenting on today’s report on the future of the oil and gas industry from Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee today, Friends of the Earth Scotland's Director Dr Richard Dixon said: "This is an utterly complacent report which slavishly supports the oil and gas industry’s aim of getting every last drop of oil out o
31
January
2019
Parking Levy welcome news for air pollution fight
Responding to the announcement that, following budget negotiations, a Workplace Parking Levy will be included in the Transport Bill, Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Air Pollution Campaigner Gavin Thomson said: “It is welcome news that Councils will be given the powers to reduce the level of cars travelling into our towns
29
January
2019
North Sea gas discovery terrible news for the climate
Oil giants CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation), Total and Euroil have this morning announced the discovery of gas, worth 250 million barrels of oil equivalent, in the North Sea. Friends of the Earth Scotland Climate campaigner Caroline Rance said, “We’ve known for years that we need to leave fossil fuels in
27
January
2019
Revealed: Scotland’s most polluted streets in 2018
Friends of the Earth Scotland has ranked the country’s most polluted streets for 2018, and the results show there has been very little progress in reducing air pollution. Official air pollution data for last year was analysed by the environmental group, looking at two toxic pollutants which are primarily produced by transpo
15
January
2019
Just Transition central to successful response to climate change, say unions and environmentalists
Ahead of a Scottish Government debate today (15/1/19) on securing a Just Transition to a Carbon-neutral Economy, the Just Transition Partnership, a coalition of trade unions and environmental organisations, highlights why a Just Transition is necessary. The concept of a just transition is central to a successful response to c
19
December
2018
Responding to the launch of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone
Responding to the launch of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone, Gavin Thomson, Air Pollution Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland commented: “300 premature deaths are caused by air pollution in Glasgow every year. This ‘No Ambition Zone’ fails to apply any restrictions to 4 out of 5 buses and fails to impact on any
14
December
2018
Civil Society Rises up as Big Polluters block progress at UN Climate Talks
As the UN climate talks enter their final hours in Katowice, Poland, hundreds of people have taken part in a mass sit down protest inside the conference venue to demand that countries act urgently to avoid total climate breakdown. [2] Civil society is protesting the failure so far of COP24 to respond to the landmark Intergove