31
May
2020
Civil Society Organisations demand radical coronavirus recovery plan that delivers fairer & greener Scotland
80 civic society organisations from across different sectors of Scottish life have written to the First Minister today calling for a radical response to the coronavirus recovery that puts people before profit. The letter is the most broad-ranging approach to the First Minster on the coronavirus recovery so far and includes det
28
May
2020
UN Climate Talks: Glasgow Summit Confirmed for November 2021
Friends of the Earth Scotland & Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland statement reacting to the announcement of new dates for the UN Climate Summit, COP26, now scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November 2021, a year later than planned. Friends of the Earth Scotland Head of Campaigns Mary Chu
28
May
2020
No bailout for plastic producer Ineos, says international groups
Prominent activists, scientists, and groups urge COP26 hosts to side with the climate and environment – while prioritising long term stability for workers through green jobs A request for £500m in state support by petrochemical and fracking company Ineos – partly owned by billionaire and tax exile Jim Ratcliffe, is drawi
13
May
2020
Deposit Return Scheme Delay Risks Rise In Plastic Pollution
The Scottish Government has today (Wednesday 13th May) passed revised regulations on the Deposit Return Scheme, which will mean it will not be operational until July 2022, 15 months after it was due to begin. The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 were voted through with 36 votes in favour, 16 against and
07
May
2020
Low Emission Zone delay puts everyone at risk, say campaigners
The announcement by the Scottish Government that the Low Emission Zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee will be indefinitely delayed has provoked concern among campaigners, who point out the links between coronavirus and poor air quality. Air pollution kills 2,500 people in Scotland each year and puts the populati
07
May
2020
Energy Minister must hold oil companies to account for job losses
Environmental campaigners have urged the Scottish Government to hold the oil and gas industry to account over the treatment of its workforce and to use its existing Just Transition Commission as the vehicle for discussing the energy transition. The first meeting of the Strategic Leadership Group on Oil and Gas and Energy Tran
06
May
2020
Oil & Gas Authority Net Zero Strategy slammed as “cynical PR exercise”
Environmental campaigners have slammed the Oil and Gas Authority’s proposed ‘net zero strategy’ as a cynical PR exercise. Changes proposed to their existing MER Strategy amount to new references to the UK’s net zero by 2050 climate targets but signal that the UK Government has no intention of repealing the legislative co
06
May
2020
Reaction to UK Committee on Climate Change coronavirus recovery advice
Friends of the Earth Scotland responds to the UK Committee on Climate Change letter to the Scottish Government setting out six principles for a resilient recovery from COVID-19. Caroline Rance, Climate & Energy Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland “As has been said many times in the past weeks, we cannot go ba
28
April
2020
Welcome for road re-allocation measures to create space for social distancing
Environmental campaigners have welcomed the announcement in the Scottish Parliament today by Cabinet Secretary for Transport Michael Matheson MSP that the Scottish Government will support councils with £10m to introduce temporary road reallocation measures. This follows concern that pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in S