Fossil Free Scotland Campaign launched

Today in Paris Friends of the Earth Scotland launched their biggest ever campaign. The Fossil Free Scotland campaign aims to end the use of fossil fuels in Scotland within a generation.

Dr Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“World governments are about to fail us in Paris. We know the deal signed at the climate conference will not be enough to protect the most vulnerable from disastrous climate change. That means campaigners, activists and ordinary people need to make up for the failure of global politics. Scotland virtually invented the industrial revolution and it should be leading the world into a new fossil-free future. We need to break from the past, break our links with dirty energy and play our part in ensuring a safe climate for everyone.

“The Fossil Free Scotland Campaign will oppose dirty energy, promote clean energy and work to get billions of public pension money out of the likes of BP and Shell and into socially-useful projects here in Scotland. This is the biggest and hardest thing we have ever taken on but it is also the most important.”

The Fossil Free Scotland campaign will be:

· fighting dirty energy – FoE have helped stop fracking and unconventional fossil fuels but will now be working to turn the two moratoria into permanent bans, as well as beginning the discussion about a transition from oil jobs in the North Sea to clean energy jobs.

· promoting renewable energy – FoE have helped communities create their own renewable energy and will be pressing politicians to guarantee support for local green energy into the future

· moving the money – FoE will be working to get £1.7bn of public pension money out of fossil fuels and into community renewables, social housing and local sustainable transport schemes

Dr Dixon continued:
“Our vision is of a just transition to a 100% renewable, no nuclear, super-efficient, zero-fossil-fuel Scotland. Despite being an oil producer, our country has the renewable energy assets and the engineering skills to be a leader in ditching fossil fuels.”

The Fossil Free Scotland campaign is part of the Friends of the Earth network with active campaigns in countries across Europe – together they make the biggest climate campaign in Europe.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The new campaign website is here: fossilfree.scot hashtag #FFScot
2. The campaign kicks off with an e-action asking people to email Nicola Sturgeon and asking her to set Scotland on course to be fossil free within a generation. http://act.foe-scotland.org.uk/lobby/FossilFreeScotland
3. Over 50 people from Scotland are in Paris for an international Friends of the Earth rally today. Pictures will be available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsoftheearthscotland/albums
4. 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, 75 national member groups, and 5,000 local activist groups.