'Ambitious' climate change target.....

azzuri · 'Ambitious' climate change target.....

see - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4859130.stm

'Ambitious' climate change target

Environmental groups have welcomed the Scottish Executive's decision to set an "ambitious" climate change target.

It has been calculated that Scotland needs to reduce carbon emissions by 1.7 million tonnes as its part of a UK commitment to cut greenhouse gases.

Environment Minister Ross Finnie wants to go further and has set a target of 2.7 million tonnes by 2010.

He said the savings would be achieved by action across key sectors including energy, transport and agriculture.

Earlier this week the UK Environment Minister Margaret Beckett admitted the country was likely to miss its target of a 20% reduction by 2010.

She said emissions would be down by 15%, which is still within the targets signed up to under the Kyoto treaty.

The UK Government published its Climate Change Programme on Tuesday.

The Scottish Executive unveiled its own programme, entitled Changing our Ways, on Thursday.

It set out for the first time the "Scottish share" - the contribution the country needs to make towards the UK commitments.

Mr Finnie said he wanted to exceed that 1.7 million tonne target by a further one million tonnes by 2010.

'Urgent response'

"The commitment we are making today is a serious response to the threat that climate change poses to our communities, our environment and our economy," he said.

"It represents a stepping up of our efforts and ambitions.

"Climate change requires an urgent, global response. Scotland may be a small country, but size is not an excuse for inaction."

He said the target would be achieved through "new and strengthened policies" across key sectors like energy, transport, agriculture and the public sector.

He added that everyone needed to play their part by switching off lights which were not needed, insulating their homes and taking public transport instead of the car.

Campaign groups welcomed the target and said Scotland was starting to take its responsibilities to tackle climate change seriously.

WWF Scotland director Dr Richard Dixon said: "It is great to see the Scottish Executive proposing more positive action than UK colleagues.

"A specific target for Scotland has been long called for and sets out a clear goal to aim for.

"The commitment to report annually to parliament on how we are doing is also to be commended."

RSPB Scotland director Stuart Housden said he was pleased that regular checks were planned across all sectors to ensure that policies delivered real carbon reductions.

"It is actions, not words, that are required," he said.

"We particularly welcome the Scottish Executive's commitment to address climate change in the most sustainable way without causing environmental harm, recognising that enhancing our biodiversity is also part of the solution."

Friends of the Earth Scotland's chief executive, Duncan McLaren, said: "Now that Scotland has a climate target, it is vital that each and every part of the executive begins to deliver the emission cuts required."

Scottish Environment Link, the umbrella body for voluntary sector environmental organisations, also welcomed the announcement.

President Fred Edwards said: "We will now be keeping a close eye on the implementation of the strategy to ensure that it results in real cuts in climate emissions from Scotland."

SLG

I read an interesting piece (I think it was McWhirter in the Herald on Wednesday) on this. Basically saying that we have reached these targets despite, not because of the political will. He was saying that if we did actually get behind a target of a fully sustainable energy production it would be very possible (for Scotland, not the UK). He said that Labour were actually quite happy that they have missed UK wide targets as this will give more succour to their nuclear agenda. He then went on to say that we should not submit to Labour plans from south of the border which are holding us back from a greener more sustainable future. Aye, it was definitely MacWhirter because I remember being surprised to see him writing something like that.

Neil

Every country is going to miss its Kyoto targets & nobody cares because Kyoto has absolutely nothing to do with stopping alleged global warming & everything to do with giving more jobs to bureaucrats & busybodies to regulate everything we do.

SLG

I've always though that Kyoto is mainly about giving the electorate the perception that governments are acting to curb emmisions thought to contribute to global warming. It is up to the electorate to decide whether they want to punish the government for failing to meet these targets.