(Tuesday 10 February 2009)
MALCOLM BURNS explores how Scotland could lead the field on emissions.
THE Scottish Climate Change Bill currently before parliament was described as "genuinely world-leading" by Friends of the Earth Scotland when it was announced in December.
Chief executive Duncan McLaren's praise was echoed by WWF Scotland director Richard Dixon, who labelled it "the best piece of climate-change legislation proposed anywhere in the world."
The Bill sets targets for a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and a cut of 80 per cent by 2050 and it includes international aviation and shipping within its targets, as well as emissions from all six greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide.
These proposals go considerably further than actions planned by the British or other governments.
So, why were "eco-warriors" McLaren and Dixon talking to a Holyrood committee last week arguing for the Bill to provide even stronger targets and more powers to combat climate change?
They were giving evidence to the transport infrastructure and climate change committee as part of a team from Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, a coalition of environment, faith and development organisations which also includes Oxfam and UNISON Scotland.
This year is a critical one for action on climate change, with global deal negotiations due to take place in Copenhagen in December.
Stop Climate Chaos believes that, if the Scottish Climate Change Bill were sharpened up, it could lead the world by example at Copenhagen, as well as setting Scotland on the path of a green economic revival.
So, the coalition is calling on the Scottish government to use the Bill to act now for a cut in carbon emissions and not delay serious reductions until 2020.
The five key planks of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland campaign are:
- A framework to achieve at least an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
- Statutory annual emission reductions of at least 3 per cent year-on-year from the start, not just from 2020
- Include all emissions in the targets, including those from international aviation and shipping, from the very start
- Enact a Scottish climate change commission in the primary legislation, to be established immediately.
- A statutory limit of 20 per cent on the proportion of emissions reduction effort that can be met through the purchase of international credits so that at least 80 per cent of the effort to cut emissions takes place in Scotland.
According to coalition member Judith Robertson, head of Oxfam Scotland, "government commitments for domestic action on climate change have the potential to make a real difference and show leadership to the rest of the world but annual emission reductions of at least 3 per cent year-on-year need to kick in right from the start."
You can read more about the Scottish campaign to save the world (genuinely!) at www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland and see the transport infrastructure and climate change committee deliberations at www.scottish.parliament.uk
Glaring representation gap at the Scottish Parliament
I DIDN'T know Bashir Ahmad, the SNP list MSP for Glasgow, who has died aged 68.Hundreds of people attended his funeral at Glasgow's Central Mosque on Saturday, including many of Scotland's political leaders. By all accounts and the tributes paid to him, he was a good and decent person.
Ahmad became the first and so far only Asian or Muslim member of the Scottish Parliament on his election in 2007. His death leaves the Scottish Parliament where it stood for its first eight years, with no representation from the Asian or Muslim communities in Scotland. It is looking unlikely that this will be put right this side of the next Holyrood election in 2011.
A list MSP who dies or leaves parliament is replaced automatically by another member from the their party's regional list. The next name on the SNP Glasgow list in the 2007 election was Ann McLaughlin.
Although the SNP has said there has been no discussion about who would take Ahmad's place, McLaughlin is described by SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon as "my favourite blogger ... definitely unmissable."
Scotland too often assumes that its parliament is diverse, perhaps just because it has a higher proportion of women members than Westminster - though still not parity with men.
However, it could well be described as "hideously white," to borrow Greg Dyke's famous description of the BBC hierarchy.
Meanwhile, Labour's Mohammad Sarwar, the first Muslim elected to Westminster, remains the only Scottish Muslim or Asian MP.
He has announced that he will retire at the next election. His son Anas was selected last year to be Labour candidate in Glasgow Central at the next Westminster election.
It would be a grand thing for sure to see a young black Scottish woman Communist MP or MSP rising to challenge the middle-aged white men in suits who still dominate our parliamentary debates.
In reality, it's up to and entirely possible for the political parties to select candidates for winnable seats who can represent all of Scotland's diverse communities.
Looks like there's still a way to go yet
THE Sunday Herald claims Scotland is on a knife edge, breathlessly citing Systems 3 poll findings that 38 per cent of Scots support independence compared to 40 per cent who do not.The rest were don't knows.
This result is one of the higher pro-independence figures recorded. Support for independence has rarely hit the 40 per cent mark in any poll. Earlier last week, a YouGov poll gave a figure of 31 per cent for those who would vote Yes in an independence referendum, against 55 per cent who would vote No.
Looks like there's still some way to go, Alex.
Bringing you the best cultural events
YOU know this column likes to bring you the best of culture, high and low, from around Scotland.How better to spend an evening than in the historic Glasgow Citizen's Theatre at a production of Willy Russell's classic play Educating Rita?
The Citizens show features none other than Coronation Street's Jim MacDonald - properly known as actor Charles Lawson - in one of the lead roles as university lecturer Frank.
It runs from February 11 until March 3. Visit www.citz.co.uk for more details.
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