Scotland’s ‘climate emergency’ demands urgent action

Environmental campaigners have reacted to First Minister’s declaration of a ‘climate emergency’ at the SNP Conference. Friends of the Earth Scotland welcomed the declaration but made clear that it must be backed by urgent action to cut climate pollution immediately.

Friends of the Earth Scotland Director Dr Richard Dixon commented,

“We have known for years that there is a climate emergency, what we need now is an emergency response.

“The declaration of a Climate Emergency is very welcome. People are dying and livelihoods are being destroyed, and the world is heading for catastrophe if we do not get a grip on climate emissions. Emergency is exactly the right word.

“In an emergency you need to take urgent action on fixing the problem, to bring together the people who can make a difference and to immediately stop doing the things that make the crisis worse. The Scottish Government have yet to spell out how they will behave differently now that they acknowledge that there is a Climate Emergency underway.

“With new advice or targets coming this week, agreement to create a Green New Deal for Scotland last week and the potential of the new National Investment Bank, there are plenty of things coming into place which will help us address this emergency.

“But we also need to stop doing the things which are ploughing us ever further into crisis. That means an end to new oil exploration and a plan to replace North Sea oil jobs with clean energy jobs, it means investment to make our energy-wasting homes more efficient and it means spending transport money on walking, cycling and public transport instead of things which encourage people to drive even more.”

ENDS