Scottish Climate Justice Fund shows the way forward

The announcement today (31 May 2012) of the Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund was welcomed by the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition.

The new fund to help people living in some of the world’s poorest countries affected by the changing climate, such as more frequent and severe droughts and floods, has cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament.

The Climate Justice Fund will be a good example to bring to the Rio+20 summit in June of how the rich world can face up to its historic responsibility for climate change and its substantial negative impact on many of the world’s poorest people

Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said: “Tackling climate change is an issue of justice, so it’s right that the Scottish Government recognises that it owes a ‘climate debt’ to the world’s poorest people, who are the most affected but the least responsible for the impact on the global environment.”

“In 2009, Scotland set an example with our world-leading climate change legislation. This new Fund shows that Scotland continues to champion climate justice.”

Davina Shiell, Interim Operational Director at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“We’re delighted that the Scottish Government has set up a climate justice fund to support countries in the global South that are suffering from the impacts of climate change. Scotland already has world leading climate change legislation, this is a great next step towards ensuring that Scotland is a key player in tackling climate change.”

Climate adaptation funding means that developed countries should provide funds to developing countries to support increased ability to adapt to the effects of climate change, and is a principle enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It has been agreed within the Convention to reflect the fact that developed countries have had a greater role historically in causing climate change.

The Scottish fund is a good start, but its starting point at £1m will have to be increased in the coming years to be able to address the scale of the problem. It sets an important example as it is funding which is additional to Scotland’s overseas aid budget.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland
 t: 0131 243 2719 

Notes to Editors

1. Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse coalition of over 60 organisations campaigning together on climate change, including environment, faith and development organisations, trade and student unions and community groups. For more information visit
www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland

2. In March 2012, what is believed to be the first ever Parliamentary debate on climate justice took place in the Scottish Parliament. MSPs from all political parties – SNP, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservative and Green – supported a Parliamentary Motion on climate justice. See the transcript of that debate online via this link:
www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=6878&i=62343&c=1288865

3. Case studies from Haiti, Malawi and Cambodia are available here:
www.stopclimatechaos.org/sccs-cjf-casestudies

4. Rio+20 – the United Nations conference on sustainable development, 20-22 June 2012. 20 years on from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, government representatives from around the world will meet to discuss sustainable development.
www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.html

4. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 remains the strongest climate change legislation anywhere in the world, including a target to reduce our emissions by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. More information at
www.stopclimatechaos.org/files/docs/SCCS-Act-Summary.pdf
or
www.stopclimatechaos.org/scottish-act-film