Eyes on Scotland during UN talks
The world’s eyes are now fixed firmly on Glasgow for the COP26 summit.
This is a hugely significant event in so many respects and, as so many environmentalists and world leaders have been warning, a last chance to get some really meaningful action.
Her Majesty, the Queen, recently expressed her frustration that we are all very good at talking a good game when it comes to addressing climate change – much less good at the action required.
And l include myself in that. While, in recent years, l have changed my own approach to things like plastics, waste disposal and greener transport there is, l have no doubt, more that l can do. That is the challenge for us all on a personal level but also for the nation at large.
There is no question that both the UK and Scottish governments have made considerable progress in tackling some aspects of carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy and they have also invested a lot in the“green skills”which will be needed in the economy.
However, we are still missing far too many targets.
Recently, the Scottish Government missed its legal greenhouse gas emissions targets again for a third consecutive year, incinerator capacity was 2.1Mt while the total household waste in Scotland was 2.4Mt meaning that 1.33Mt still has to be burned after the four-year delayed 2025 landfill ban comes into force.
In effect, this leaves two options: either import waste from other countries to keep the incinerators running – which will lead to a huge rise in CO2 emissions – or close down waste facilities at the taxpayers’expense
Plus, the SNP’s ambition that Scotland could become the“Saudi Arabia of renewables”has been somewhat dented given what happened at BiFab and the majority of wind farm contracts being awarded to foreign companies.
The UK government has faced criticism too because of its support for the North Sea oil and gas industries and tax regimes that are favourable towards fossil fuels.
In theory, we want to hasten the transition away from these fuels but there is an important balance to be struck.
Oil and gas make up 79 per cent of Scottish energy consumption and 91 per cent of heat demand and they provide around 70,000 jobs.
If we were no longer producing oil and gas we would still have to import them – and at inflated foreign prices with absolutely no benefit to the environment.
In the meantime, with just a few days left before COP26 starts, Glasgow City Council finally needs to get its act together to clean up the disgraceful state of some of the streets in the city.
Like so many people, l have been astonished by council leader Susan Aitken’s denial of the extent of the problem when it is plain for all to see.
Surely, the legacy of COP26 has to be that cross-party and cross nation working is just one of the essential components to successfully addressing climate change
Cleaning up our streets properly would be a good start.