CAMPAIGN groups across Scotland have joined forces to call out "Scotland's most notorious polluters".
With the UN COP26 climate talks just over a month away, and the recent code red IPCC report on climate breakdown, campaigners in Glasgow Calls Out Polluters (GCOP) are turning the spotlight on companies they say are the worst polluters in Scotland - and across the UK.
GCOP is a grassroots campaign coalition fighting against the "greenwashing and corporate takeover" at the COP.
They are encouraging civil society and local government in Glasgow to take a strong stance against fossil fuel companies and their financiers, both at the conference and beyond.
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More than 600 people participated in the vote, with categories including: The GasLight Award, North Sea Numpty and The Worst Polluter in a Supporting Role.
Energy firm Drax swept up three awards after activists accused the company of using “unproven” bioenergy to create a carbon-negative power plant.
Drax won the Net Zero (Credibility), Slimiest Greenwash and the Lifetime Achievement Awards.
BP also won an award for its part in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and for being the owner of the single biggest oilfield in the North Sea, taking home the North Sea Numpty trophy.
And INEOS, known for its liquified natural gas imports, picked up the Gaslight Award.
Dan McMahon from Glasgow Calls Out Polluters said: “The Polluter Awards draw attention to some of the most notorious polluters in Scotland and the UK, where we see a vision of climate action with no concern for social justice, where our collective future is gambled on far off tech fixes like carbon capture and storage."
"There will be a lot of corporate spin around COP and it is important not to allow climate- wreckers free reign to rehabilitate their images while profiting from the same old polluting business models."
Eilidh Robb, of the UK Youth Climate Coalition, added: “Big polluters have enjoyed privileged access and profit for far too long - these awards hold them accountable for years of planet wrecking behaviour.
"For anyone looking to point the finger at the ring-leaders of the climate crisis, look no further than the results of the Polluter Awards. ”
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Glasgow Calls Out Polluters are also launching an interactive map of polluting sites in the Glasgow region and beyond, which can be accessed here: https://www.gcop.scot/polluters-map/
The UK Polluter Awards were organised in collaboration with Culture Unstained, UK Youth Climate Coalition, 350.org, Biofuelwatch, Impact, and Friends of the Earth Scotland.
The full list of award categories and winners for Scotland are:
- Worst Polluter in a Supporting Role Award – Barclays
- North Sea Numpty Award - BP
- Gaslight Award – INEOS
- Farming Pollution and Subsidies Award - Crown Estates Scotland
- A War Award - BAE Systems
And the UK Polluter Awards went to:
- Slimiest Greenwash Award - Drax
- Net Zero (Credibility Award – Drax
- Building Back Badly Award – HS2
- Lifetime Achievement Award - Drax
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