After working through the night and dramatic last minute hitches the UN talks on biodiversity have a new deal for nature, with the aim of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. Early on Monday morning the gavel came down …
Nature-based solutions not as nice as they sound
As the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh gets back to catering for tourists, it’s time to reflect that the outcomes of the UN COP27 climate talks were predictable, surprising and dangerous, all at the same time. The first success was …
Diplomacy and duplicity at the seaside
The baffling, frustrating and occasionally inspiring circus that is the UN climate talks is in full swing in the Red Sea tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Impenetrable as they are these talks are the only place countries can negotiate to act …
Too busy for climate change
We are only a few days away from the start of COP27 in Egypt – the most important high-level discussions happening on (and about) planet Earth this year. Things are going so badly that the UN says there is now no …
Funding climate action
We are facing four crisis – climate and nature emergencies, the cost of living crisis and a global poverty crisis. A new report looks at how we can raise the money and drive the behaviour change needed to reduce emissions at …
The global energy crisis and the climate
When the deadline for revised climate pledges passed last month only 23 countries out of nearly 200 had submitted something new. This deadline was agreed at the Glasgow climate talks last November and counties where supposed to propose stronger action between …
Financing climate justice
A new report I researched and wrote for Stop Climate Chaos Scotland on fiscal measure for climate action is covered in today’s Sunday Post. It looks at how we fund climate action at home and how we make our fair …
Energy scenarios almost point the way
The long-awaited Scottish Energy Strategy is due to come out this autumn but new energy scenarios published this week contain some things to welcome but also some worrying ideas. The current Energy Strategy was published in 2017. It contains two scenarios, …
Sizewell C decision surely a joke
Approving another nuclear power station when we should be doing everything to reduce energy prices is surely a joke. Reports at the weekend said that Boris Johnson had approved government funding of £6bn towards the £20-30bn estimated cost for the …
Truss’ Brexit fundamentalism threatens environmental gains
Liz Truss’ pledge this week to scrap all EU-derived laws by 2023 is a big threat to environmental and consumer protection, even where those measures have been put into Scots’ Law. What did the EU ever do for us, as …
Voluntary climate action isn’t enough
Last week I wrote about the Rio Earth Summit, which happened 30 years ago. I concluded that few of the aims of the agreements developed there have been delivered. A crucial issue is the voluntary nature of modern climate agreements. The Rio …
Local action for the environment
As Scotland goes to the polls today we should remember the huge power that our councils have to deliver on climate and environment ambitions. Our 32 councils control a huge range of things that shape our daily lives. How far you …