Act for our Future – help make new #ClimateChangeBill bigger and better

UNISON members are being urged to help make Scotland’s new Climate Change Act as strong as possible.

With other members of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS), we are disappointed that the Scottish Government’s proposals for the new Bill are not ambitious enough.

The SCCS Act for our Future campaign has an easy online E Action. You can click here to email First Minister Nicola Sturgeon asking her to:

•Set a target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest, and a reduction of 77% by 2030

•Ensure that future finance budgets are consistent with our climate targets

•Commit to actions that cut emissions and deliver a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous Scotland by:

Making all homes efficient and warm: Ensure that all homes have at least Energy Performance Rating ‘C’ by 2025.

Cleaner transport: phase out the sale of new fossil fuel cars by 2030 to reduce emissions, clean up air pollution and improve the nation’s health.

Greener farming: Set a nitrogen budget for Scotland by 2020.
 
The Scottish Government consultation on the new Climate Change Act closes on 22 September. UNISON will be submitting a response, as will Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. More information about our asks for the Bill will be posted later this month on this blog.

Please support the E Action and help spread the word to colleagues and through social media.
 
UNISON Scotland members interested in working on climate change issues can join our Green Network email list and come to meetings. The next is on Saturday 9 September, 1.30-3.30pm in the UNISON Scotland office at 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow, G2 6RX. We have an excellent speaker on city renewable energy generation, as well as updates on campaigns for a Just Transition to a low carbon economy. If you would like to be added to the email list, contact Fiona Montgomery at f.montgomery@unison.co.uk
 
Also, see our Green Workplace pages http://www.unison-scotland.org/campaigns/green-workplace/ and the Green Network Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/greennetworkunisonscotland/

#APD cut is lose, lose - for public services and for climate action

#WED2016 It is World Environment Day on Sunday 5 June. A good day for the Scottish Government to cancel plans to cut Air Passenger Duty.

UNISON Scotland today urged the Scottish Government to prioritise protecting public services by axing its plans to first cut APD by 50%, then eventually abolish the tax.

In our response to the Scottish Government consultation on APD, closing today, we argue that Ministers should be defending public services and working for social justice by opposing austerity and tackling inequalities. Climate change action is essential and should support these goals. 

Instead, this policy proposal would benefit the wealthiest, while increasing aviation emissions. A lose, lose proposal for Scottish public services and for protecting our world for future generations.

If Scotland is to meet its proudly proclaimed as world leading climate change targets, a cut to APD makes no sense. The Scottish Government should think again.

Come and ask @scotgov to double funding for cycling and walking #wanttoseedouble

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland would like your help in asking the Scottish Government to double the active travel budget.

Join a lobby in Edinburgh on Wed 30 October at 1pm at St Andrew's House. Come on foot, or bring your bike if you can.

Full details on the SCCS website where you can also email your MSPs. Please do come on 30 October, but make sure you email MSPs also, and particularly if you can't come.

Climate change is an urgent health and safety issue for the planet. More funds to support cycling and walking is a win win policy - good for our health and good for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Transport accounts for a quarter of Scotland’s climate change emissions. This needs to reduce urgently and decisively if Scotland is to play its fair part in tackling global climate change.

Join us at 1pm to send a clear message to the Scottish Government that a low carbon country needs a low carbon transport system...and We Want to See Double!

On Facebook? Let SCCS know you're coming along via: www.facebook.com/events/373113696152444

Reduce transport emissions, deliver climate justice - Email your MSPs

@scccoalition Scotland campaign.

UNISON Scotland is part of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition which is campaigning this autumn for the Scottish Government to double its active travel budget.

 

Please use this easy link on the SCCS website here to email your MSPs.

 

You can let them know that cycling and walking is a win win policy, because it is good for our health and good for the planet.

 

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is seeking keen 'green' bloggers

Would you like to try using a different form of transport for six weeks and share your experience with others?

Stop Climate Chaos is looking for a small group of volunteers from around Scotland to take part in its Travelling Tales project, starting September 2013.

This will involve using a low carbon form of transport for 6 weeks and sharing your stories and experiences of this on our new blogging website.

SCCS: Scottish Government's climate plan doesn't add up

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland statement on the Scottish Government's new climate action plan:

Very little of substance has changed in today’s final version of Scotland’s new climate action plan, the RPP2, from the draft deemed ‘not credible’ earlier this year.

The RPP2 is an important document which sets out how Scotland will meet its climate targets under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act of 2009, but the final plan discounts some of the major recommended improvements from Parliament and other stakeholders that were suggested during the Parliamentary scrutiny process.

Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government’s plan is not the step change required to deliver our climate Act, especially as they failed to hit the first two emissions targets.

"It is particularly concerning that recommendations from MSPs from all parties and stakeholders have not resulted in any significant change to this important plan.

Union hits out at high cost of private financing for Scottish transport projects

21 June 2013
UNISON today (Friday) welcomed the call from Audit Scotland for greater transparency on the costs of five key transport projects.

The public services union said it was clearly wrong that the full public sector financial commitment for the projects has not been reported before now and condemned the continued use of expensive PFI/PPP through so-called Non Profit Distributing (NPD) financing.

Audit Scotland warned that the total estimated spending commitment over 30 years is £7.5 billion but that the Scottish Government “has not fully demonstrated the reliability” of its analysis that this is affordable.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said: “Two of these road projects use NPD, while the Borders Rail project failed as an NPD scheme.

“We have long warned about the high costs and lack of transparency about PFI/PPP. It is mortgaging future generations to the hilt at greater cost than conventional financing.

Ministers called to Parliament to explain climate change plan deemed ‘not credible’

27 Feb 2013 news release from Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. Ministers in Parl 27, 28 Feb and 6 March.

In an unprecedented move, six Scottish Government Ministers [1] have been called to Parliament to explain their plans to reduce Scotland’s emissions - plans which the diverse Stop Climate Chaos coalition has branded ‘not credible’.

Four Parliamentary Committees are currently scrutinising the draft Low Carbon Scotland: Report on Proposals and Policies 2013-2027 [3].  The document could be the blueprint for how Government will ensure that its legally binding targets to reduce emissions, as set out in the Scottish Climate Change Act of 2009, can be met.  This is particularly important given that the first emissions target set under that Act was missed and with emissions from housing and transport higher now than they were in 1990.

The Committees have already heard from a range of stakeholders, most of whom have expressed concern about the credibility of the plan.  Professor Pete Smith, a renowned climate scientist from Aberdeen University and one of the authors of the global Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, dismissed some of the Government’s proposals for reducing emissions as ‘wishful thinking’[3]. 

Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said:

“...The Parliament came together in 2009 to unanimously vote through the Scottish Climate Change Act.  We look forward to the Parliamentary Committees again working together to recommend that Ministers up their game over the coming weeks and come forward with a revised plan of which we can all be proud.” 

[1] Keith Brown MSP (27/02/13), Margaret Burgess MSP (27/02/13), Paul Wheelhouse MSP (27/02/13), Richard Lochhead MSP (28/02/13), Fergus Ewing MSP (06/03/13), Derek MacKay MSP (27/02/13)

See the full news release on the SCCS site here

SCCS evidence to the Committees is here

Contact your MSPs to get the climate action plan improved. Information here

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#RPP2 #climatepromises SCCS: @ScotGov climate change plan lacks ambition/credibility

29 Jan 2013

The Scottish Government has shown an ‘extremely worrying’ lack of ambition in its new plans to reduce emissions, a leading coalition said today. [1]

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) [2] slammed the government’s second climate action plan, the draft Report on Proposals and Policies 2 (RPP2), accusing it of failing to fully grasp the multiple benefits for the economy, society and the wider environment to be gained from a transition to a low carbon economy.   The Royal College of Nursing today added their voice to call for more focus on measures which reduce emissions and can improve the health of Scots across the country.

With the Scottish Government having missed its first climate target, SCCS believes this draft plan fails to put us back on track to cut our emissions and play our full part in tackling dangerous climate change, committed to in the 2009 Climate Change Act.

Reacting to the draft action plan, Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said:

“It is extremely worrying to see the lack of ambition demonstrated by the Scottish Government when it comes to reducing our climate emissions.  We have the strongest climate laws in the world and the Government has gone to great efforts to highlight this example globally.

“Sadly, missing the first climate target last year does not appear to have been the wake-up call needed for Ministers to put fresh impetus into their climate action plans. This new plan does little to reassure us that future targets will be met, putting Scotland’s credibility at risk at home and abroad. 

"While there has been some good progress in insulation programmes for homes, it fails to tackle the growing emissions from our transport sector. It calls into question how serious the Government is about delivering on the Act and actually reducing Scotland's emissions year on year.

"We need Members of the Scottish Parliament to come together, as they did in 2009 when passing the Scottish Climate Change Act, to ensure that Scotland's climate ambitions can be realised."

Although there are strengthened commitments to tackle emissions from heating and electricity, the package as a whole lacks credibility.

SCCS is calling on MSPs to suggest key improvements when it undergoes Parliamentary scrutiny, including essential policies to tackle the growing emissions from transport, home energy use and land use:

On transport, Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said:

"The Scottish Government has again shirked its responsibility of cutting emissions from the transport sector. It has failed to bring forward as confirmed policies the measures that are required now to turn around emissions in this critical area. The plans for transport are even worse than in the previous plan. They have decided to delay action on cutting transport emissions until 2025, in the vain hope that they can pluck something out of the air in the final three years.

"The Parliament must ensure that the Government isn't allowed to hide behind its claims that it doesn't have the funds to cut transport emissions, or that it's Westminster's fault. The Scottish transport budget has risen, not fallen, in recent years but the Government has chosen to spend these extra funds on new road-building rather than on reducing emissions. Under this government, we've seen a 40% increase in roads spending while the funds devoted to sustainable transport have remained static."

On homes, Theresa Fyffe, Director of Royal College of Nursing Scotland, said:

“It’s now widely accepted that climate change is a very real threat to the health and wellbeing of people across the world, and the RCN supports action that enables Scotland to play its part in reducing harmful carbon emissions.  Nurses are on the frontline of patient care and know only too well the health problems that can arise as a result of higher temperatures, extreme weather events, and other climate related impacts. 

“The people most likely to be affected include the elderly, children and the poor - we all have a responsibility to take action and we will support our members to do their bit, but leadership on this global issue must come from Government.  A fully funded National Retrofit Programme combined with the introduction of minimum standards of energy efficiency for all housing are necessary if we are to address the national shame of fuel poverty and the challenge of climate change.”

On land use, Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland, said:

“The proposals for peatland restoration are very welcome and encouraging.  Scotland's peatland is globally important for biodiversity but restoring degraded peat bogs has additional wider benefits including securing the vast amounts of carbon stored in the peat soils, improving our water quality, and providing opportunities for tourism. RSPB Scotland and other land managers look forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver this commendable target, but await details on what funding will be put in place to achieve this important work."

Ends

Notes to Editors

(1) Low Carbon Scotland, the Report on Proposals and Policies (RPP)

(2) Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is a diverse coalition of more than 60 organisations campaigning together on climate change, including environment, faith and development organisations, trade and student unions and community groups.

www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland

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#RPP2 #climatepromises SCCS: Scotland must get its climate change strategy right

29 Jan 2013

Tom Ballantine, chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, writes in The Scotsman today:

"TODAY the Scottish Government will publish its second climate change action plan.

The plan will set out how Scotland will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2027. After the considerable setback and embarrassment of last year, when the government missed the first legally binding target to reduce Scotland’s emissions, this action plan is a must-seize opportunity to get us back on track.

In 2009, in response to the voice of the Scottish people, the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed the Scottish Climate Change Act. This legislation was not just a statement of intent but a world-leading commitment to take action to tackle climate change. Today’s plan from the Scottish Government will tell us if that promise is to be kept or broken.

If we are to get back on track, having missed our very first climate target, the new plan must be credible and transparent. The previous plan was undermined by a reliance on possible future actions to cut emissions. This time the Scottish Government must provide clarity and confidence with a firm statement of action and not a list of intentions.

The new plan must mark a step change in effort, particularly to reverse the projected growth in emissions from cars. More effort is also needed to secure warm and affordable homes for all. These are the two sectors where emissions have risen significantly over the past three decades or so, and if Scotland is serious about delivering on its climate promises, these areas will require particular effort...."

Full report here and BBC Scotland report here




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SCCS welcomes more active travel funding, though still a cut

8 Feb 2012

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland welcomes today’s announcement from John Swinney that an additional £13m over three years, compared to the Budget Bill published last month, will be allocated to sustainable and active travel. However, we note that this is still a cut on the funding available for this work in the current year.

Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:

“While we welcome the additional funding that the Scottish Government has allocated to sustainable and active travel in today’s budget announcement, it is still insufficient to deliver plans to meet Scotland’s climate change targets. The Government’s own plans to meet targets – set out in the Report on Proposals and Policies - are still not fully funded through this budget.

"The funding allocated for sustainable and active travel for the coming two years remains a cut on the funding available in 2011-12. At the same time, yet more funding - £72m - has been allocated to the carbon-generating road-building programme. This will not encourage people in Scotland to choose sustainable and active travel options.”

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Watchdog issues warning on Scottish climate change action

Tuesday 31st January 2012

• Recent emission reductions due to recession, not government measures
• Emissions now rising, new government measures needed

An independent UK watchdog has today increased the pressure on the Scottish Government to amend the budget to ensure Scotland meets the targets set out in the Scottish Climate Change Act. [1]

Responding to the publication today of the UK Committee on Climate Change (UKCCC) assessment of the progress Scotland has made towards reaching its emission targets, since passing the Climate Change Act, Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:

"This assessment of Scotland's progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions makes it pretty clear the government must raise its game. The Committee conclude that climate emissions have mainly fallen due to the recession and not as a result of government policy.

"Most worryingly the report says that rather than locking in the reduction, emissions were back on the rise in 2010. This is particularly true in the transport sector, highlighted by the Committee as an example of where new policy effort is needed from the Scottish Government.

"This call for action jars with the Budget currently making its way through Parliament which has a worrying disregard for the climate legislation. Instead of committing funds to build on sustainable transport policies as the Committee urges, the Government proposes to cut funding by a third, ignoring policies that would reduce emissions, improve health and air quality and benefit our communities. At the same time it is pouring money into the roads budget, the one area where emissions continue to rise.

"Unless the budget is amended to fully fund the measures set out in the Scottish Government's action plan [2] it risks disappointing the tens of thousands of people in Scotland, and around the world, who called for action on climate change."


Notes:

1. The report is available from the CCC's website at: http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/scottish-report
2. Scottish Government Action Plan - Low Carbon Scotland: The Report on Proposals and Policies. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/346760/0115345.pdf

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SSCS: Budget Bill fails to match climate ambition

Monday 23rd January 2012

Calls for appropriate levels of funding to reduce emissions are ignored 



Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) has expressed major disappointment in the Scottish Government’s Budget Bill which has now been published.

The proposed Budget continues to ignore the need to fully fund the measures set out in the Government’s own plans to reduce Scotland’s emissions in line with the Scottish Climate Change Act. In particular, funding to improve and expand cycling and walking infrastructure is still set to be cut by a third while, at the same time, the roads budget will increase by 16%.

As part of an SCCS campaign, hundreds of people across the country contacted their MSPs to highlight concerns about funding for the plans to ensure Scotland meets its legally-binding climate change targets. On Wednesday 11th January, more than 350 people on bikes and on foot gathered outside the office of the Scottish Government, at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh, to show their support for that campaign. Their calls have been ignored.

Ministers have also overlooked the recommendations of two Parliamentary Committees who urged the Government to align its Budget with its climate change ambitions.

Read more here, including SCCS Budget Briefing for MSPs.


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SCCS tells Scottish Government 'Get on yer bike'

Wed 11 January 2012

Scottish cyclists today gathered outside St Andrews House in Edinburgh to call on the Scottish Government to invest in cycling and walking and low carbon transport, and fully fund their own plans to meet Scotland's climate change targets.




More than 350 people, most on bikes, took part. Pics here 

The action was supported by cycling ace Chris Boardman MBE, Britain's most successful cyclist to date, although he wasn't able to be in Scotland for the event.

Chris Boardman said:

"It's great to see that so many people in Scotland are enthusiastic about cycling as a low carbon form of transport.  We all have a responsibility to help tackle global warming and this is a clean, healthy way to help reduce our carbon emissions.

"To get people on their bikes, and make sure Scotland plays its part in addressing climate change, there needs to be proper investment in cycling infrastructure."

Tom Ballantine, Chair of event organiser Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:

"The government must now step up and fully fund all of the measures set out in its own plans to meet our climate change targets, the Low Carbon Scotland Report on Proposals and Policies.

"In particular the government needs to reverse cuts to funding for cycling and walking in the 2012/2013 budget and instead invest in sustainable, low carbon transport, which is why so many people have turned up here today."

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Cuts hit rural areas particularly hard

#uNDC11 The particular difficulties facing rural communities because of cuts to funding for local authority services was highlighted by South West Region and backed up by Highland's Liz Mackay.

STUC: Re-visit bus deregulation to address failures of Thatcher

Fractured and inconsistent bus services with not enough new build means bus services cannot be left exclusively to the private market, said the STUC backing a motion from Unite. "There is no bigger barrier for disabled people than the design of, and access to public transport. Although Charlie's bill was a small step for disabled people, it was nevertheless, an important one", says UNISON's John Nisbet.


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UNISON calls on SPT to recognize staff work

UNISON, the main union representing staff in Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is calling for the partnership meeting today (Friday) to acknowledge the work put in by staff during the turmoil caused by the high profile resignations of senior board members and management.

Robert Rae (UNISON regional organiser) said "While the fallout of expenses revelations and resignations continue to be played out in the media, UNISON members within SPT continue to provide a valuable service for the travelling public in Strathclyde. This seems to have been overlooked in the current climate."

UNISON is calling upon the SPT officers at their meeting, and their new chairperson, to acknowledge the commitment of their employees.

Robert Rae said: "We would urge the officers of SPT to acknowledge their staff's commitment to getting the job done. They are working diligently providing a public service day in, day out despite the issues at the top."

Disabled trade unionists to lobby to support Bus Bill

Weds 30 Dec 2009


Disabled Members belonging to Scotland’s largest public service union, UNISON, are starting a campaign to get their MSPs to support a private members Bill that wants to extend free bus travel to people on the lower rate of Disability Living Allowance, as well as allowing community transport to accept free bus passes.

The Regulation of Bus Services (Scotland) Bill is being put forward by Charlie Gordon MSP and will also allow local councils to step in and put local franchise for services out to tender.

John Nisbet (Chair of UNISONScotland’s Disabled Members’ Group) said “Extending the access of Scotland’s public transport to a wider group of disabled people is very important in the fight to ensure they get equal access to services. This bill would not only directly benefit those on disability living allowance, but regulation could ensure improvements in accessibility. For example it has already been drawn to UNISON’s attention that many buses have no access for visually impaired people with guide dogs.”

To go forward, the bill needs the support of 18 MSPs from two of the major parties at Holyrood. UNISON is putting links on their website http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/betterbuses/index.html, encouraging members to sign a petition in support of the bill- www.scottishlabour.org.uk/bus, and to send letters to their own MSPs urging them to back the bill http://www.writetothem.com.


ENDS


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