Day: February 1, 2025

Celebrate Lunar New Year at St James Quarter this weekend

It’s the Year of the Snake and as people in Edinburgh prepare to celebrate Lunar New Year, St James Quarter has its exciting line up of celebrations taking place this weekend.

Today, Saturday 1st February, St James Quarter will play host to a range of Lunar New Year-themed activities including a traditional Lion Dance procession, which will make its way through the Galleria in an eye-catching and colourful display.

Performed by the talented team at Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Edinburgh, the Lion Dance is commonly performed during Lunar New Year to bring good luck and guests will be able to enjoy two performances throughout the day at 12pm and 1pm.

St James Quarter will also be taking part in the traditional act of gift giving that is associated with Lunar New Year.

Between 12pm – 4pm on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd February, lucky shoppers will have the chance to get their hands on a limited number of red envelopes including gift cards – symbolising good wishes and luck for the year ahead. 

These will be handed out by the Guest Services team on Level 1 and can be redeemed at retailers within The Quarter.

Brands including New Balance and Coach, will be showcasing Chinese New Year inspired limited-edition items.

If you’re looking to celebrate by indulging in traditional Asian cuisine, Thai Express Kitchen will be red envelop give-aways of complimentary appetisers and discount vouchers until the 5th February, while Gordon Ramsay Street Burger will feature the Lunar Burger served with Koffmann’s fries for £18 until the end of January.

Anne Ledgerwood, Estate Director at St James Quarter, said: “Edinburgh is the multicultural hub for Scotland, and Lunar New Year is a great opportunity to experience the different cultures and traditions that we have here in the city.

“We hope that as many of our guests as possible will get involved in the Lunar New Year celebrations at St James Quarter on Saturday and we look forward to welcoming guests to The Quarter to celebrate the Year of the Snake with us”.

For more information on the Chinese New Year celebrations at St James Quarter please visit: https://stjamesquarter.com/event/lunar-new-year

Audit Scotland: ‘Minimal progress’ on reducing car use

A lack of leadership has meant the Scottish Government has made minimal progress towards its challenging climate change goal of reducing car use, according to a new report by spending watchdog Audit Scotland.

In 2020, the Scottish Government said it wanted to reduce car kilometres driven by 20 per cent by 2030 as part of its efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, the government has yet to produce a delivery plan for achieving the target, which it is unlikely to meet.

Since 2020, car traffic has increased to near pre-pandemic levels, public transport use has reduced, and there has been no significant change in how much people walk and cycle.

Spending by councils and the Scottish Government on reducing car use is complex, fragmented and lacks transparency. Ministers have spent significant sums on concessionary bus travel and active travel but have not considered how best to target funding to reduce car use.

Councils have a key role in reducing car use, but some have prioritised the 20 per cent target more than others. Rural councils face bigger obstacles to delivering change due to geography and poorer public transport networks. Councils need clearer guidance and direction from the Scottish Government on their role in helping deliver the target.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government set an ambitious and very challenging target to reduce car use by 20 per cent by 2030. But there has been a lack of leadership around delivering this goal.

“It’s now unlikely the government will achieve its ambition, so it needs to be clear how this will affect its wider ambitions to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.”

Ruth MacLeod, a member of the Accounts Commission, said: “All parts of government need to act to deliver the 2030 car use reduction target. Councils need to set out to what extent they will contribute and how they will measure their progress.

“But they also need clearer guidance and direction from the Scottish Government to agree their role in reducing car use in their area.”