There was much coverage over the weekend about the creation of an historic UN agreement to protect the world’s international oceans. There is also much to do to protect Scotland’s seas. The world’s nations agreed in 2012 at the Rio+20 meeting …
Deposit Return Scheme whingers should shut up
Despite more than 5 years of notice, businesses are still whingeing on about the new Deposit Return Scheme, due to start operating in mid-August. The Deposit Return Scheme or DRS will put a 20p deposit on plastic, glass and metal …
The environment in 2022
In the midst of war and a cost of living crisis, some good things were achieved for the environment but we also went backwards in 2022. The climate scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change produced a report on …
Targeting waste
The public are demanding more action on waste, including targets for our consumption of key materials in the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill. The Bill was first promised in 2019 but put on hold because of the pandemic. It is now firmly …
Vaping and the environment
If you walk down any urban street in Scotland it will probably not be long before you see a brightly-coloured, discarded single-use vaping tube lying in a gutter. A group of charities is calling for them to be banned, but what …
Materials targets essential to reduce global footprint
Figures released this week showed that 80% of our coastal waters are contaminated with fragments of plastic, a threat to wildlife and, via the food chain, to us. The promised Circular Economy Bill must take action to eliminate this problem and …
Let’s make the Circular Economy real
The Circular Economy is turning from an academic concept in government targets and practical actions on the ground. Improving the way we deal with material resources is vital to reducing our climate change impact. Last week I wrote about the need …
Incineration on its way out
Last week the Scottish Government published its independent review of incineration. If they follow its recommendations there will be a huge shake up of the how we deal with materials and waste in Scotland. The review was led for the government …
Golden opportunity for steel
Scotland is ideally placed to create a greener steel industry but will we manage to get our act together in time? Steel making is a big challenge in trying to reduce carbon emissions. It is a very useful engineering and construction …
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 …
Review must see an end to incineration in Scotland
From health impacts and issues of equality to climate concerns and competition with recycling there are plenty of reasons to say no to more incinerators.
Will the SNP introduce a moratorium on incineration?
The Scottish Government needs to put a moratorium on incineration until the review is complete.