MINISTERS are being urged to raise their ambitions on climate change by introducing tougher targets to address air pollution.
More than 8000 people responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on its Climate Change Bill calling for zero toxic emissions by 2050, and a 77 per cent decrease by 2030.
They say the current aim for a 63.5 per cent reduction by 2030, which the Bill proposes to increase to 66 per cent by 2030, and then to 90 per cent by 2050, does not go far enough.
Tom Ballantine, chair of environmental coalition Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS), which wrote to the First Minister last week, said: “In 2009 Scotland was setting the pace internationally when we agreed our climate targets but now people are urging the Scottish Government to keep the country on the leaderboard on this issue.
“The urgency of the climate crisis has grown in the intervening years and Scots want to see more done to ensure we continue to deliver leading action.”
The Scottish Government is revising its plans following the historic Paris climate deal agreed in December 2015.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s State of the Climate in 2016 report revealed earlier this year that 2016 was globally the hottest year on record, surpassing 2015 and 2014 for record temperatures.
Ballantine added: “The most up to date climate science clearly demonstrates that we need to rapidly cut emissions if we are to avoid catastrophic temperature increases and irreversible change.
“The question is not will we act, it is will we act fast enough? The Scottish Government has proposed a target of 90 per cent reduction by 2050 but this simply doesn’t go far enough. It is only a minor improvement on what we were already aiming for a decade ago.”
He continued: “As well as ambitious emissions targets, people want to see the concrete policies that help us meet these goals.
“Our climate plans should deliver real action to make every home a warm home, stop the sale of fossil-fuelled vehicles by the end of the next decade and provide help for farmers to go greener.
“The additional benefits of acting now are many: a reduction in deadly air pollution, less fuel poverty, reducing local environmental pollution from agriculture along with the economic advantage gained by leading rather than following.”
Research from WWF Scotland recently revealed that 68 per cent of Scots want to see the government invest in projects that cut emissions, with 76 per cent wanting to see more done to improve the energy efficiency of homes.
Transport is the biggest polluter, responsible for 27 per cent of emissions, followed by agriculture which accounts for 22.5 per cent.
Last month the UK Government announced a ban on diesel and petrol car sales from 2040. The Scottish Government had previously pledged to reduce sales of fossil-fuelled vehicles to just 60 per cent by 2032, but SCCS wants the phase out of the sale of new fossil fuel cars by 2030.
By comparison India is aiming for no new fossil fuel cars by 2030 and Norway by 2025.
The 8000 responses calling for more ambitions targets have been submitted through a range of organisations including Oxfam, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth and WWF.
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act passed in 2009 helped to establish Scotland as a world-leader in tackling climate change and requires ministers to publish regular plans for meeting future emission reduction targets. The consultation on the new Bill ends on September 22.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here