In an unprecedented referendum this month, the people of Ecuador voted to stop oil drilling in the Yasuní National Park in the Amazon. Despite dire warning about economic collapse, 59% backed the ban and the state oil company now has a year …
Councils and climate action
Your local council has a vital role in helping deliver reductions in climate change emissions, not only from their own operations but in how they shape the lives of all their citizens. The public sector should be leading by example. Scotland’s …
Greenwashing LNG
Threatened by action to reduce climate emissions the gas industry has a long history of claiming to be green. Leaked documents show how they are now trying to convince the world that liquified natural gas (LNG) is the best thing …
A climate information campaign for Scotland
Fortunately the days of giving air time to climate sceptics are gone, but the backlash over the extension of the London Ultra-Low Emission Zone and the nonsense talked about Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme show that the public and some politicians …
More climate ambition, not less
The world is heading for its hottest year ever, with some parts of the world reaching dangerous new temperature highs last month. According to UN Secretary General António Guterres we have gone beyond global warming, beyond even global heating and …
Politicians retreat as climate impacts advance
In the Greek islands people are running away from the results of climate change, meanwhile the UK Government is running scared of taking action to reduce emissions. Some commentators put the Conservative Party win in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip …
Corporate courts threaten climate action
The EU is planning to withdraw from a treaty which holds back climate progress and allows fossil fuel companies to sue governments in a special court. The UK Government seems content to stick with it, risking the transition away from fossil …
Activist target Grangemouth as politicians dither
With weather records tumbling and climate change accelerating, grassroots activism sees a boost this week as activists join a five-day climate camp near the Grangemouth refinery and petrochemical plant. We had the world’s hottest day ever recorded last week, which …
Green progress under threat
As June broke all-time temperature records, action on climate and the environment was stalling with both the UK and Scottish Governments. Last week the UK Government’s official advisors, the Committee on Climate Change, issued their annual progress report on UK climate targets. They …
Labour’s green plan – not good enough
Last week Labour promised to make Britain a clean energy superpower, but they will need to do a lot more if they are to be credible on climate. Their much-trailed proposals have been backwards and forwards on the details for …
Big oil and the energy transition
UN Secretary General António Guterres has stepped up his challenge to the oil companies to stop blocking action on climate change, accusing them of trying to “knee-cap” climate progress. Earlier this year, Mr Guterres used the launch of the latest …
Return to sender
The DRS is (almost) dead, long live the DRS. Deposit Return Schemes exist in many countries and are almost universally popular but Scotland’s perfectly sensible scheme has twice been a political football and is now destined to sit on hold …