Government environmental practice needs “step change”

Commenting on the Scottish Government’s Annual Environmental Report 2008/09, Duncan McLaren, Friends of the Earth Scotland Chief Executive, said:

“This report makes disappointing reading. Although the period covered predates the Climate Change (Scotland) Act, the Government was already committed to ambitious emissions reductions. Yet from these figures it would seem that in its own operations the Government was doing a worse job of cutting emissions than the rest of the economy, where net greenhouse gas emissions fell by around 2% in 2008, and by over 8% in 2009.

“We are particularly concerned to see that they remain off-course to meet their targets for energy use in buildings and business travel, two areas where cost-effective savings are relatively easy to deliver. This report does not suggest the genuine leadership on climate change that is needed if Scotland’s world-leading climate targets are to be delivered.

“Central government in Westminster has just committed to deliver a 10% cut in emissions in the coming year: to achieve anything similar the Scottish Government will have to make a step change in performance.

“The report does not make uniformly depressing reading: for example the figures show the Government has already exceeded its 2011 for waste reduction.”

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland T: 0131 243 2719

Notes to editors

The full report can be accessed here:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/05/14145517/0

Friends of the Earth Scotland is the country’s leading independent environmental campaigning organisation, and is the only organisation in Scotland that is working for environmental justice, campaigning for the planet and its people.
www.foe-scotland.org.uk