Latest blog posts

29th August 2018, by Caroline Rance

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s submission to the Scottish Parliament Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform committee on the new Climate Change Bill. Our key points: The Climate Change Bill fails to deliver its objective of raising ambition to deliver the Paris Agreement Its proposed targets require almost no extra effort to 2030, and only modest...

13th July 2018, by Mary Church

Our submission to the Westminster Scottish Affairs Committee Inquiry on the Future of the Oil and Gas Industry. Our key points are: the most important challenge for the oil and gas industry is how it can adapt and respond constructively to the requirement to stop burning fossil fuels in order to avoid catastrophic consequences of...

26th June 2018, by Mary Church

In Autumn 2018 progress is anticipated on three Scottish Government commitments that are critical to driving forward action to deliver a low carbon economy: the Just Transition Commission a Scottish National Investment Bank, and a publically owned energy company This briefing for MSPs summarises the thinking of the Just Transition Partnership in relation to these,...

22nd June 2018, by Caroline Rance

Ahead of a crucial Westminster vote on whether to approve the Heathrow third runway we, together with Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, wrote to all Scottish MPs urging them to vote against this disastrous project. Our key points are: Expanding aviation is incompatible with our commitment to tackling climate change and the...

12th June 2018, by Mary Church

A briefing from the Just Transition Partnership to the Scottish Parliament’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee ahead of taking evidence from the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Bill Team on the question: How does the Scottish Government intend to implement its commitment to create a Just Transition Commission, and why is this not included...

12th April 2018, by Richard Dixon

A briefing ahead of the Scottish Parliament debate on the ECCLR Committee’s air quality report on 17th April, with a special focus on the need to improve plans for Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone. Key points in tackling Scotland’s illegal air pollution 1. Air pollution is still killing off around 2,500 people a year in Scotland...

9th April 2018, by Matthew Crighton

In creating a Just Transition Commission, as announced in September 2017, the Scottish Government has an opportunity to set out a path for a radical and fair transformation of the Scottish economy, moving towards both eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and greater social justice and environmental sustainability. To drive these changes forwards, it will need to...

20th March 2018, by Emilia Hanna

On Friday, Glasgow City Council published draft proposals for a Low Emission Zone which fall well short of the mark in delivering clean air. We, together with Friends of the Earth Glasgow, Cycling UK Scotland, Get Glasgow Moving, Global Justice Now, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and WWF Scotland have written to the City’s Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction City...

19th March 2018, by Ric Lander

Friends of the Earth Scotland has been working for some years to champion public finance and funding to stimulate a just transition to a zero-carbon economy. We welcome the creation of the Scottish National Investment Bank but believe there is much more work is to be done to ensure it is established on a green...