Climate Change Bill passed - now the hard work begins

Today’s passage of the Climate Change Bill was described by the Scottish Greens as the first key battle in Scotland’s efforts to tackle climate change. On several issues, Parliament forced the SNP to go further, but the Bill remains flawed in several key areas, and major loopholes exist around the targets set in the Bill.

Green amendments to require aviation and shipping to be accounted for were agreed, and all future Scottish budgets will need to show the carbon costs of each item. Parliament also blocked Labour’s attempt to block action on plastic bags.

On the other hand, Patrick Harvie’s amendments to take the interim target to 50% were rejected, despite the strong scientific evidence for action on this scale. Parliament also voted to allow a higher proportion of the reductions to be “offshored”, rather than coming from real change here in Scotland.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“We secured some important victories today, some of which could make a significant difference over the long term. All future Scottish Budgets must now be carbon costed, and we made sure Ministers could not exempt aviation and shipping from the targets. Parliament also blocked Labour’s attempt to block future proposals on carrier bags.

“This Bill is Scotland’s first key battle on climate change, and, although we sustained some losses, the campaigners and the Green movement have won an important victory. Now the hard work begins. The SNP are destined to fail completely on climate change unless they change tack on transport, power generation and energy efficiency.

“Although the target has been raised, SNP Ministers have identified a loophole that would bring back the original lower target, and they have already told us how they plan to misuse it. Parliament and the climate campaigners will need to be vigilant and determined to hold this slippery administration to its promises, especially when they reach for the constitutional comfort blanket of their traditional squabbles with London.”

On the 10k run

(that’s run not race)

No politics today, just a personal posting. I’m back on the sofa after taking part in the 10k run organised by the Men’s Health Forum for Scotland. In fact I might not move from it again for the rest of the day!

I blithely signed up for the run about four months ago, after an invitation from Mark from MHFS to come along to the press launch. I’d been meaning to do a bit more exercise for some time, and I suppose I thought that it would help to have something to work toward.

How wrong I was.

You see I simply don’t do deadlines. At school I always left my homework to the last minute (in fact I think I managed my physics revision during the interval between the two exam papers). My contribution to Greenprint, the party’s newsletter, is generally submitted the day after the deadline. And most mornings I get out of bed at more or less the last minute I can get away with.

Running the 10k has helped me see this more clearly about myself - my good intentions to practice practice practice fell aside pretty quickly, and I think I got out for a run about six times before the big day. The furthest I’d managed was about 5km, before I seemed to hit some sort of fundamental limit; a law of nature I’d not encountered before.

But astonishingly I got through it today, with the help of Councillor Danny (above) as well as chums Jason and Michael from Oxfam, and Chris from the Liberals (no really, he’s not that bad a Liberal…) who all finished ahead of me, but certainly helped to make sure I actually started!

Lots of guys were clearly first timers like myself, and I don’t think anyone should feel the slightest but of pressure to think about finishing times or whatever - frankly I had decided that if I completed the course at all that meant I’d won. So there. It won’t make me sign up for more 10k runs - but now that the beastly deadline is out of the way, I think I might just go for a bit of a run every once in a while, simply because I know I can.

There. That was my day off this week. Now it’s back to haggling with the other parties over Climate Change Bill amendments for Wednesday. Watch this space, or follow me on Twitter, for the results of voting throughout the day.

Salmond’s nationalist blinkers

Scottish Greens today condemned Alex Salmond’s response to questions from Labour leader Iain Gray about the Climate Change Bill as inadequate and partisan. The First Minister has made his decision, Greens argue, not to use the significant powers the Scottish Parliament already has in this area. Greens have also today lodged an amendment to improve the interim 2020 target for carbon reductions by increasing it from 34% to 50%.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“The First Minister today claimed he could do little about climate change until Scotland achieves independence, yet he still wants us to believe that his half-hearted climate change bill is world leading. Instead of acting on the environment, he’d rather pick a fight over the constitution.

“We don’t need independence to stop expanding motorways and airports, nor to move from coal to renewables, nor to cut household energy bills by insulating every home in Scotland. Alex Salmond knows this, yet he pretends it’s “all London’s fault”, as always. Whatever the question he’s asked, the nationalist blinkers come down and he rails against London rule. He needs to use the powers available already to build a sustainable Scotland, or he needs to get out of the way and let someone else do it.

“Labour’s late conversion to tougher targets is better than nothing, but sadly both parties are basing their figures on outdated science. On this specific question, though, Labour is right: Scotland can clearly achieve at least a 40% reduction in our emissions by 2020 with the powers Holyrood already has.

“Parliament clearly needs to drag the SNP kicking and screaming toward a stronger position, and there’s still a lot of work to do if the Bill is going to be meaningful and effective. We have therefore today lodged an amendment to bring the interim target up to 50% by 2020, and we will work with the campaign groups and others over the next week to transform this inadequate legislation into something Scotland can be properly proud of.”

SNP’S climate plan is a recipe for inaction

The Scottish Government’s “Climate Change Delivery Plan”, published today, (1) was rejected by the Green MSPs as completely inadequate to the task at hand. The party argues that the limited ambition contained in the document merely confirms that the SNP understand neither the urgency of the climate threat nor the opportunities to improve Scots’ quality of life that real action on the issue could bring.

In particular, Ministers’ proposals:
- give no figures for emission cuts from energy efficiency;
- fail to commit to delivering a free universal home insulation scheme;
- make unsafe assumptions about carbon capture and storage, with no Plan B should the technology fail;
- ignore the climate impact of the SNP’s motorway construction programme; and
- fail to include any moves to reduce road traffic levels.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“If anyone still believes the SNP are prepared to act on climate change, this document will surely change their mind. It’s a recipe for inaction, just a thin veneer of vague promises and techno-fixes which are still on the drawing board. Beneath that their policy programme remains unchanged and utterly inadequate.

“Climate pollution levels in Scotland continue to rise, just as the Scottish Government’s own emissions have, and the SNP’s response remains as woefully inadequate as ever. No-one looking at the science or the needs of society could put motorways ahead of affordable public transport, or coal ahead of clean energy.

“The SNP have their fingers wedged in their ears on the environment. Whatever the question, this is not the answer.”

Notes

1. See: www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechangedeliveryplan

Greens visit under-threat Glasgow community meadow

Glasgow Green MSP Patrick Harvie and Green Glasgow Councillor Kieran Wild visited the North Kelvin Meadow in Glasgow’s West End on Friday 12 June to meet community activists and hear how the future of the meadow is threatened by Glasgow City Council’s plans to sell the land to property developers.

The North Kelvin Meadow is a three hectare site adjoining Clouston, Sanda and Kelbourne Streets in Glasgow’s West End, which has been transformed by the local community from long-term derelict land into an inspiring green space, including a meadow, allotments, woodland and an orchard.

The transformation has been undertaken by a voluntary residents’ organisation, The North Kelvin Meadow Campaign. (1) Over 100 community activists, including school children, are involved in the transformation and ongoing management of the site.

Glasgow City Council plans to sell the North Kelvin Meadow site to property developers, New City Vision, to build 115 flats. The Council stands to pocket up to £10 million from the sale of the site.

The local community around the site feels very strongly that the land, which has been open space for over two decades, should remain a community asset. The North Kelvin Meadow Campaign has started an online petition, which now has hundreds of signatures, and has attracted support from well-known Glasgow writers Louise Welsh and Alasdair Gray. The petition can be found at: http://www.gopetition.com/online/28274.html

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“My visit to the North Kelvin Meadow site today is to show my support for the community campaign to retain this fantastic community asset. It’s clear that the local community has invested a huge amount of time and effort in transforming what was derelict land into a vibrant space, full of life and activity. They have done a terrific job, and I hope that they will be able to continue doing so in the future.”

Councillor Kieran Wild said:

“The Council is clearly putting its pocket before the people here, and ignoring the community, environment and public health benefits of retaining and improving the North Kelvin Meadow site in favour of trousering a huge wad of cash for its development. Even if this cash were to be diverted to improving other play facilities or green spaces, I would rather see the North Kelvin Meadow site retained for the benefit of the local community.”

Douglas Peacock, Chairman of the North Kelvin Meadow Campaign added:

“It’s very clear this land has been made into a beautiful green space for the local community, by the local community. It’s now up to those with influence to listen to the people and act to save this land from being sold for flats.”

Notes:

1. The North Kelvin Meadow Campaign activists have transformed the North Kelvin Meadow site. Since November last year, the community activists have cleared the land of litter, improved access to the site, started allotments, planted fruit trees and bulbs, built a compost heap and more, with growing support from the local and wider community.

The North Kelvin Meadow Campaign has now received funding from O2 and Shell to secure a derelict building on the land for their tools and equipment, and they are working with other community groups and social enterprises, such as Glasgow Wood Recycling and Kelbourne School, on ongoing improvement, development and educational projects.

For more information on the North Kelvin Meadow Campaign, see: http://www.northkelvinmeadow.com

Green bill on hate crime passed by Parliament!

The Scottish Parliament today passed Green MSP Patrick Harvie’s Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Bill without opposition and without any amendments. (1) The legislation, which has received significant support from Scottish Ministers, will now go to the Queen for Royal Assent.

Statutory aggravations already exist to cover offences motivated by religious or racial hatred, allowing Scots courts to issue tougher sentences. This legislation will now extend that principle to cover hatred based on disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“The Parliament has today spoken with one voice, and this is a day all Scots can be proud of. At last, our courts will be required to hand down sentences for hate crimes against LGBT and disabled Scots that reflect the true nature of these crimes, just as they already can for offences motivated by racial or religious hatred.

“Some people still think Greens only deliver on the environment, but a tolerant Scotland at ease with itself is a crucial part of our vision too. This legislation is a small but significant step in that direction, but I personally will never be satisfied until these abhorrent crimes are a thing of the past altogether.

“I would also like to thank all those who have helped this Bill get onto the statute books, including those brave victims who have been prepared to come forward as well as a wide range of voluntary organisations, the police, and Scottish Ministers.”

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:

“No one in Scotland should have a crime committed against them simply on the basis of disability or sexual orientation. With hate crime, that is exactly what happens.

“This sends a clear message that prejudice, hatred and crime aimed at specific groups is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. That’s why I am pleased that the Bill has now been passed by Parliament.

“The Bill will improve the way the courts deal with these crimes. If it’s shown that the motivation for an offence was hostility and ill-will based on sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability, that will now be taken into account and the sentence be able to reflect that.”

Notes

1. For more information about the legislation, see:
www.scottish.parliament.uk