from Sunday Herald, 08 June 2008
Scottish ministers are coming under fire for failing to set up a new climate watchdog, and preferring to rely on advice from London instead.
Leading environmentalists and trade unionists have criticised the Scottish government for not wanting to establish a climate change commission to make sure that targets to cut pollution are being met.
In its proposals for a climate change bill later this year, ministers have said they they are “minded” to make use of the UK Committee on Climate Change. This was set up in February by Westminster’s environment minister, Hilary Benn, under the chairmanship of Lord Adair Turner, the former Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
“In most areas the Nationalists insist that Scotland should do its own thing, so it is bizarre to see them apparently content to listen to advice from London,” said Dr Richard Dixon, the director of WWF Scotland.
“Even the unionist Tories are for a Scottish commission. You can only surmise that the government doesn't actually want fully informed scrutiny of its performance in delivering their own climate bill.”
Dixon pointed out that the UK committee would have its hands full keeping Westminster on track to deliver reductions in climate emissions. None of the six experts so far appointed to the committee are based in Scotland.
He added: “Despite having a duty to think about Scotland, the committee’s first workplan reveals that they won't be putting much time into considering the different circumstances and options north of the border.”
Scottish government officials are said to be concerned that there might be difficulties in finding the right people to sit on a Scottish commission. “This is just an excuse, and no such fears hampered the formation of Alex Salmond's Council of Economic Advisors,” argued Dixon.
“It is ridiculous, as well as insulting, to suggest that Scotland lacks the talent to fill the places of a Scottish climate commission. In Scotland we have scientists contributing to the UN climate reports, two of the UK's biggest transport firms, top-flight economists and world-beating energy experts.”
According to Dave Watson, the Scottish organiser of the trade union, Unison, it was critical to have a “strong, independent and Scottish” climate change commission. “It is essential that government delivers on the bare minimum of statutory three per cent year-on-year greenhouse gas emission reductions,” he said.
WWF Scotland and Unison are both members of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, a coalition of more than 30 environment, development, faith, community and other groups with at least 1.5 million supporters. The coalition’s campaign for tougher action to cut the pollution that is disrupting the climate is being backed by the Sunday Herald.
The Scottish government pointed out that it partly funded the UK climate committee, and would help make appointments to it. The plan was to seek advice from the committee in the short term, and to then review how well that worked.
A government spokesperson said: “We are considering including provisions in the Scottish climate change bill to enable the creation of a new Scottish committee on climate change if our review concludes that the advice of the UK committee does not fully meet Scottish needs.”
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland believes the Scottish climate change bill should:
- Establish the legal framework to require the reduction of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050.
- Contain statutory annual targets for at least three per cent cuts in emissions year on year to set us on a steady path of reductions to 2050.
- Include climate change emissions from international aviation and shipping.
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