River Cottage campaign raised in Parliament

The Scottish Parliament has today heard a call for the Scottish Government to back the Landshare campaign (1), promoted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on his Channel 4 series River Cottage, which would bring disused or derelict land back into productive use for growing fresh fruit and veg by householders right across Scotland. Landshare is a UK-wide initiative to make land more productive and fresh local produce more accessible to all, and Glasgow City Council last month backed a call from Green Councillor Nina Baker to look at constructive ways to use vacant sites as temporary green spaces. (2)

At Holyrood’s oral questions Patrick Harvie asked the Scottish Government what action it is currently taking to bring derelict and disused land into back into productive use across Scotland, and urged Scottish Ministers to back this campaign.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“Waiting lists for allotment spaces continue to grow while there are countless plots of unused and derelict land across Scotland, providing no benefit to local communities. This is a massive opportunity for the Scottish Government to play an active role in the Landshare campaign, starting by looking at what unused land it holds, and also by encouraging other bodies to take part. These plots could then be made available to communities for growing local, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as for parks and other green spaces.

“This scheme is an ideal way to help people save money on their food bills, just as food prices have risen through the roof, and it can also help people live more active and happy lives. Greens have made progress on this issue in Glasgow and we’re working with the Council there to open up the city’s land to local residents. The time has come to think equally creatively about unused land across the rest of Scotland, and I hope the Scottish Government will do so.”

Notes

1. See: http://www.rivercottage.net/landshare/

2. The Glasgow City Council’s position is set out here: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/News/temporary+parks+on+vacant+sites.htm

Parliament backs £100M Green budget bid

The Scottish Parliament today backed the Scottish Green Party’s £100m budget proposals (1) on home energy efficiency. Today’s key vote saw Holyrood back the principle of a comprehensive Scotland-wide energy efficiency scheme, including support for energy audits, insulation and appropriate microrenewables.

The Parliament voted for the Green amendment (1) by 91 votes to 15, with 14 abstentions, before backing the final amended motion by a similar margin. Discussions on this issue will now continue between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party, and Greens believe that the momentum behind this proposal will make it hard for Ministers not to back it in their final budget.

Robin Harper MSP said:

“Home energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to beat fuel poverty, improve health, tackle climate change, and cut people’s bills all at the same time. The time has clearly come for a universal scheme covering the whole of Scotland, not piecemeal projects based on means testing and up-front charges. Even if climate change wasn’t the urgent issue it actually is, these proposals would be worth pursuing for the benefit of the thousands of new green collar jobs Scotland could gain.

“With Parliament’s clear support, the Scottish Government now has an opportunity to make all Scotland’s homes warm, green and cheaper to live in. We look forward to further constructive discussions around this issue with the SNP and with other parties. Today’s vote shows that they understand the scale of the problems Scotland faces, and that they are ready to look at imaginative solutions on that same scale.”

Notes

1. The Green amendment read as follows:
S3M-2864.1 Patrick Harvie: Energy Efficiency?As an amendment to motion (S3M-2864) in the name of Sarah Boyack, leave out from “improve” to end and insert “ensure that microgeneration technologies become widely available and used and to consider other energy efficiency measures for new and existing housing stock to tackle fuel poverty, climate change and security of energy supply; notes the evidence given by Friends of the Earth Scotland to the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee suggesting that an additional £100 million per annum would be a welcome change to the draft budget for 2009-10, and calls on the Scottish Government to consider a comprehensive and fully funded Scotland-wide scheme on this scale to provide energy audits, insulation provision and financial support for micro-renewables where appropriate.”

The original Labour motion read as follows:
S3M-2864 Sarah Boyack: Energy Efficiency?That the Parliament recognises the significant role that energy efficiency and microgeneration measures could have in reducing energy costs for householders and businesses, in achieving urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 80% by 2050 and contributing to the eradication of fuel poverty by 2016; notes that research carried out by the Energy Savings Trust suggests that widespread installation of microgeneration could provide 30 to 40% of our electricity needs by 2050 but that current investment in energy efficiency and microgeneration measures is insufficient to achieve these goals, and calls on the Scottish Government to take steps, as set out in the Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Bill proposals, such as fiscal incentives for householders and businesses, to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing housing stock and ensure that microgeneration technologies become widely available and used.

http://warmscotland.org/

The Scottish Green Party is calling on Ministers to insulate every home in Scotland. A quarter of Scots still live in fuel poverty, many with damp homes, all leaking money. Tackling this problem effectively means putting in loft and cavity wall insulation for free, and it means providing substantial financial support for micro-renewables and other energy efficiency measures.

No more bureaucracy, failed targets or complicated means-testing, just teams going area by area, street by street and door to door getting the job done. It’s cost-effective, it brings in money from the private sector, and nobody gets missed out. Green Councillors in Yorkshire have already proved it can work. Scotland should be next.