Fort activist calls for citizens’ climate assemblies to be set up

If Highland Council was to declare a climate emergency, as has been urged by members of the Fort William branch of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) campaign group, the first thing it should do is be publicly honest and open about what is happening to the climate and the ecosystem, and what will happen if it isn’t treated it as an emergency.

So said Andrew Squire, a co-ordinating member of the Fort William group. His remarks came after the Lochaber Times reported last week how he and his fellow climate campaigners were calling on Highland Council to take action and declare the climate emergency.

‘This isn’t just about reducing single use plastics and getting councillors to drive electric cars in order to do a bit better with Highland Council’s own carbon footprint,’ said Mr Squire.

‘This is about helping to prevent catastrophic changes to weather patterns, mass species extinction, failure of food supplies across the planet, societal breakdown.

‘The second part is to re-prioritise its [Highland Council’s] current budgets, and to press the Scottish and UK governments for more funding, to enable the Highlands to become truly carbon neutral by 2025.

‘Achieving that target will involve some difficult and unpopular choices, which is why politicians are so nervous about taking the necessary steps. That is also why XR wants citizens’ assemblies to be set up, comprising a representative cross section of the population, thoroughly informed, to consider the real options and to steer the politicians in the best direction for the Highlands.’