Tag: climate crisis

Scottish students debate on climate crisis at COP28 mock event

OVER 100 pupils aged between 16-18 from Scottish schools played the part of politicians, journalists, and lobbyists to debate on the climate crisis.

They were taking part in the British Council’s COP28 Climate Simulation Negotiation at Moray House, School of Education, University of Edinburgh, and had the opportunity to find out what it’s really like to negotiate a climate deal.

Delivered with Learning for Sustainability Scotland this debate was the first time the event has come to Scotland and the first in a series coordinated by the British Council in five cities across the UK.

The event kicked off with a keynote address from Learning for Sustainability lead at Scottish Government, Lucia Ramon Mateo, with the debate taking place in the run-up to the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates which starts on November 30.

During the negotiations, the pupils had to agree on a global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and successfully reduce global temperature rises to no greater than 2 degrees C, making sure that all countries were on target to reduce temperatures by 2030. To do this, they used computer software developed by Climate Interactive and MIT to create a real-life climate simulation.

They were led by Professor Peter Higgins, Director of the United Nations University Regional Centre for ESD (Scotland) and Professor Dave Reay, Executive Director at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute and Professor of Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh.

Attending the event students Rosie Zisman, and Raphael Uddin from Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh shared the role of United Nations Secretariat General.

Speaking about the negotiations, Raphael said: “Today our aim was to reduce greenhouse emissions drastically and we just reached the target agreement for warming, bang on 2.0 degrees.

“We were able to work together, compromise, and reach this goal and no countries were left behind or lost out. It was also great to have schools from Egypt join us today, to hear about their experience during COP27 and to get an insight into the different issues, especially with COP28 coming up in Dubai”.

Rosie added: “We managed to reach consensus to fund $1billion in climate financing per year globally, which was a big win.

“At 2 degrees, we will still see dramatic increases in climate change. Today gave us just a flavour of what is possible and it is progress, but not our final destination”.

Speaking at the event, Professor Reay said: “We’ve seen skilled negotiations from the students today and many congratulations to all those taking part who have worked diligently debating the issues.

“It is extremely important that we have opportunities like this to maintain the conversation about the vital importance of keeping warming under 1.5 degrees.

“This event shows that while the global conversation on the climate crisis still falters, young people have the energy, drive and ambition to focus and ask the hard questions. Today at Moray House, we have had the privilege of working with future policy makers and global citizens, a generation who already know that activism for the planet is crucial”.

Peter Brown, Director, British Council Scotland provided a welcome to the students, he said about the event: “Well done to all those involved in today’s event – I’m delighted that young people from across Scotland, the wider UK, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates are coming together to actively engage in the challenges of climate change.

“Our research at the British Council shows clearly that the climate crisis is of deep concern – particularly to young people, and this event has put students at the head of the negotiating table.

“It has given them a unique chance to experience the realities of diplomacy and international negotiation such as that taking place at COP28, providing them with the skills and confidence to take on some of the world’s biggest challenges.”

The initiative is part of the British Council’s Schools Connect programme for schools in the UK and around the world. The British Council works with education policymakers to explore effective practices from other countries and help teachers to bring an international perspective to the curriculum. This supports all young people to build the skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to respond to global challenges and develop international understanding. 

Through the Climate Connection programme, the British Council is also supporting people globally to find creative solutions to climate change in support of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in UAE this month.

The British Council is supporting the summit by engaging with networks of education professionals, students, academics, researchers, artists, civil society leaders and policymakers to participate in meaningful dialogue and bring about real change for our planet.

This event continues the British Council’s work, building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts, education and English language teaching.

To find out more about their work in Scotland visit:

https://scotland.britishcouncil.org/ or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Forum set to help culture and business find solutions to sustainability

Culture & Business Scotland Edinburgh event brings the sectors together to ‘cultivate connections‘

With both climate change and the recent slashing of government funding to the culture sector continuing to make the headlines, Culture & Business Scotland will be hosting a Members’ Forum focussing on how sustainability strategies can be incorporated into culture organisations. 

Taking place on Thursday 26 October at the National Museum of Scotland, the Forum will unite members for a series of presentations, success stories and sustainability strategies, with the aim of fostering collaboration and initiating a dialogue around environmental issues ahead of the launch of COP28 next month.  

The cross-sector event will be attended by representatives from businesses of a range of sizes and geographical backgrounds, facilitating networking opportunities as well as providing a platform for businesses to forge connections with culture sector organisations and secure creative solutions to challenges within their practices.  

The event will also feature speakers from across the industry, who will be sharing insights into how sustainability can be embedded within culture organisations’ practices. 

Dr Ben Twist, Director of Creative Carbon Scotland, will compare the different ways that arts councils are addressing climate change, while Scott Mackay, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Scottish Youth Film Foundation, will showcase COP TV, a project aimed at amplifying the voices of Scotland’s youth in the context of the crucial COP event. 

Meanwhile Hannah Schlesinger, Director of Development & Marketing at Edinburgh Science, will discuss The NetZeroToolkit, a product of the organisation’s Climate Co-Lab initiative, designed to help businesses reduce their carbon emissions. Ruth Gill, Director of Public Programmes at National Museums Scotland, will also introduce the event and give a presentation on how the museum is progressing on its quest for Net Zero. 

David Nelson, Head of Development and Programmes at Culture & Business Scotland, said: “The significance of ‘sustainability’ in the culture sector is huge. Incorporating sustainability strategies within our practices should be at the forefront of all our minds as the climate crisis worsens, and our Members’ Forum is set to create a dialogue around how best to do that.  

“With funding to culture organisations under threat, it’s also crucial that we maximise opportunities to build strong and sustainable relationships between the culture and business sectors.

“Amongst the many benefits of membership to Culture & Business Scotland is the chance to access these networks and build innovative solutions to the challenges we’re currently facing, as an industry and as a society”. 

Individuals interested in attending the Members’ Forum can find out more about Culture & Business Scotland membership here: 

https://www.cultureandbusiness.scot/members/.  

First Minister to announce climate justice funding

Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia to receive £24 million

Countries hardest hit by the climate crisis will be supported by up to £24 million in Scottish Government funding, First Minister Humza Yousaf will announce today as he welcomes US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to Scotland.

Three aid agencies – Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), DAI, and NIRAS – will each receive up to £8 million over the next three years from the Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund to support work in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia respectively.

It will enable them to work closely with communities to manage the material and social effects of climate change, funding projects such as building more climate-resilient housing or repairing village flood defences.

The First Minister will launch the programme today (Thursday 24 August) as he introduces a lecture by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry focusing on the Climate Crisis.

It is the first in a series of annual Scottish Global Dialogues taking place during the Edinburgh International Festival to discuss global challenges, organised by Beyond Borders Scotland and the WS Society with support from the Scottish Government. 

During his introductory address, the First Minister is expected to say: “The countries which are the worst affected by the climate crisis are often those which have done little or nothing to cause it.

“The injustice at the heart of the global climate crisis is why Scotland became the first country in the world to establish a Climate Justice Fund more than a decade ago and why we have led the way in being the first global north country to commit funding to address loss and damage.  

“Today, we are able to announce the start of the Climate Just Communities programme in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda. The programme will work with local communities – including with marginalised groups – so that they can identify their own priorities, and build their resilience to the climate crisis.

“The £24 million programme that we are confirming today is a significant commitment from a devolved government. It will make a real difference to the communities we are working with and it’s a further sign of Scotland’s determination to be a good global citizen – and to do our bit in tackling the climate crisis here in Scotland and across the world.”

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said: “I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to speak at a historic site like the Signet Library to address the climate crisis at this critical moment.

“With just a few months to go before COP28 in Dubai, we all need to ensure our unwavering commitment to addressing one of the world’s greatest threats.”

Founder of Beyond Borders Mark Muller Stuart KC said: “We are delighted that Secretary Kerry has accepted our invitation to come to Scotland to launch Scottish Global Dialogues by giving the inaugural address on such a critical issue as the climate crisis as we move towards COP28.

“We believe the convening power of the Edinburgh festivals and the Signet Library’s Scottish enlightenment connections provides the perfect backdrop for such an address, to say nothing of the Scottish people’s enduring commitment to protecting our environment.”

Climate Justice Fund – International development – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Fire Brigades Union: Governments must ‘heed stark warning’ of Scottish wildfire visible from space

This week, firefighters have battled a wildfire that started burning on Sunday afternoon near Cannich, south of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. 7,400 hectares have burned so far, with images of the 22-mile long plume of smoke captured by NASA from space.

Two firefighters injured tackling the blaze have since been released from hospital.

Wildfires require a significant number of firefighters to respond due to the extensive terrain, physically demanding work over long periods of time, transporting equipment by hand while being exposed to significant temperatures.

A decade of budget cuts has left Fire and Rescue Services stretched for resources while climate related incidents have increased in frequency and severity. J

uly 2022 saw the temperature in parts of the UK exceed 40 degrees centigrade for the first time in recorded history, increasing the risk of wildfires.

Last week the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service announced further cuts on top of a decade of austerity. These cuts will see the loss of ten fire appliances, reducing fire cover and impacting firefighters’ ability to respond to incidents.

Since 2010, 11,500 firefighters have been cut across the UK, and Scotland alone has lost 1,100 firefighters since 2013.

Matt Wrack, FBU General Secretary said: “Throughout this week, firefighters in Scotland have bravely battled what is now believed to be one of the biggest wildfires in UK history and which can be seen from space.

“Two of our members have already been injured working in these extreme conditions. Thankfully both have now returned home. However, this shows us the real dangers of the climate emergency. 

“Wildfires, such as the ones we are seeing in Cannich at the moment, are on the rise year on year. 

“All governments must heed this stark warning: the climate crisis is here now. We need urgent climate action to prevent loss of life, and that must also involve serious investment in our fire services.”

Greenpeace: Invitation to The Cost of Living documentary screening and panel discussion

Where:

Grassmarket Community Project

86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QA.

When:

Thursday 17th November 19:30 – 21:00

What:

Greenpeace Edinburgh will be hosting a town hall event at the Grassmarket Community Project focused on the cost of living and climate crises. As part of the event, we will be showing a screening of Greenpeace’s latest documentary, “The Cost Of Living”.

This short documentary tells the story of volunteers in food banks and community centres across Rother Valley in Yorkshire. Feeling neglected and left behind by the government and facing enormous energy bills, more and more people rely on their community to help put food on their table and provide a warm refuge.

Food banks, social cafes and community centres are being stretched to the limit as winter looms large. As the women of Rother Valley try to keep their communities afloat, the government’s inaction stands in stark contrast.

Both the cost of living and climate crises can be solved by investing in renewable energy, properly insulating homes and providing people with the skills and training needed to deliver this green energy revolution.

The screening of the approx. 10 minute documentary will be followed by a panel discussion, featuring representatives from organisations including Living Rent, Just Stop Oil, Fuel Poverty Action and Leith Community Crops in Pots. 

Get in touch:

greenpeace-edinburgh@live.co.uk

https://linktr.ee/greenpeace.edinburgh

Event Details:

Register on Eventbrite

https://greenwire.greenpeace.org.uk/s/event/a2X4H000000opddUAA/edinburgh-townhall-meeting-on-the-cost-of-living-and-climate-crisis?language=en_US

https://fb.me/e/dstTnhBlT

BP profits tripling show ‘broken’ energy system

Climate campaigners have said that BP reporting a tripling of quarterly profits shows that the UK energy system is ‘fundamentally broken.’ The oil giant today announced profits of £6.9 billion ($8.45 billion) in just 3 months. 

Meanwhile, energy consultants have forecast that energy bills could reach over £3,600 per household. 

BP have said they will use these record profits to pay out to their shareholders as well as buy back shares in the company from investors. Share buybacks are a way of increasing the value of shares for shareholders.

BP continues to invest in fossil fuel projects such as the Murlach oil field which will further ‘lock us into’ this broken energy system for decades, increasing company profits even further at the expense of people and the planet, campaigners say.

Climate scientists and energy experts have warned that we cannot afford any more investment into fossil fuel extraction if we are to limit dangerous climate warming to 1.5ºC. 

Recent research revealed the oil and gas industry has made over $52 trillion in profit over the last 50 years.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Oil and Gas Campaigner Freya Aitchison said: “This announcement of yet another obscene profit for BP is a clear sign that our energy system is fundamentally broken.

“Rising energy prices are a key driver of the cost of living crisis which is plunging millions of people in the UK into fuel poverty, yet bosses and shareholders at BP are getting even richer by exploiting one of our most basic needs.”

“BP is also worsening climate breakdown and extreme weather by continuing to invest and lock us into new oil and gas projects for decades to come. Instead of allowing these companies to continue causing social and environmental devastation to boost their profits, we need to overhaul our energy system to rapidly phase out oil and gas.

“A fair and fast transition to renewables must ensure that everyone has access to affordable and clean renewable energy.”

An exploration of how financial inequality prevents the success of Scotland’s climate change aims

This essay, written by Ellen Keefe, was the overall winner in the Fraser of Allander 2021/22 Economic Futures Essay Competition.

Students were invited to write an essay on an Economics topic related to the climate crisis and climate change policy in Scotland.

Each of the four winning essays were featured as a perspective in the March 2022 edition of the Fraser of Allander Economic Commentary.

In the wake of COP26, targets to slow climate change have been set across the world. As the host of the climate conference, Scotland has set the ambitious target of reaching net zero emissions by 2045 (Sturgeon, 2021).

Scotland aims to reduce emissions in areas such as transport and housing with numerous initiatives set for the coming years. However, are these targets inclusive for everyone in Scotland? How financial inequality excludes lower income households from reducing their emissions and accessing government support to do so will be explored.

The transport sector creates significant carbon emissions causing climate change (Apostolicas, 2019). This has driven the innovation of electric vehicles. In order to reach net zero, the target for Scotland (and the rest of Britain) is to stop the sale of new petrol/diesel cars after 2035 (Burch, Gilchrist, 2018).

A higher uptake of electric cars within society will be beneficial for reaching climate change targets, however, considering all members of society, this is not realistic. Electric cars have a significantly higher upfront costs and therefore an individual could buy a larger petrol/diesel car for the price of a smaller electric vehicle (Mehta, 2021).

Due to these drawbacks, financial incentives are needed to convince a lot of the public to opt for an electric car (Rotaris, Giansoldati, Scorrano, 2021).

In Scotland there is financial support to aid individuals buying an electric car. Interest free loans up to £28,000 paid back in up to 6 years for new electric cars and up to £20,000 paid back in up to 5 years for used electric cars are available (Net Zero Nation, 2021).

The cheapest used electric car that can currently be purchased costs from £9,675 however, numerous used petrol/diesel cars can be purchased for below £5000 (Buyacar, 2021). Therefore, interest-free loans are not enough to make electric cars accessible/desirable to low-income households.

Grants could be provided to low-income households to facilitate the purchase of an electric car and even the playing field of choice between electric and petrol/diesel vehicles.

Alternatively, government intervention into reducing the costs of electric cars would make them more accessible. The Scottish government should look to partner with electric car manufacturers such as Nissan to fund innovation and reduce tax on production of electric vehicles. With a significant reduction in the price of electric cars to match the price of petrol/diesel cars the financial barrier of purchasing would be removed and uptake across Scotland would increase, hence reducing transport emissions.

One of the benefits of owning an electric vehicle is their low running cost.

Charging points have been installed across Scotland which initiatives to increase accessibility set. However, electric cars are mainly charged by a charging point which is installed at the owner’s home.

The installation of a home charging point costs around £800 (DriveElectric, 2020). Grants of up to 75% of the cost of installing home charge points are available (Gov, 2021).

As of April 2022, this will only be available to homeowners living in flats and people in rented accommodation. This change demonstrates governments aim to aid lower income households more in purchasing an electric vehicle.

Nevertheless, even with a grant of the maximum, 75% of an £800 would still leave a £200 installation cost, which is significant in particular to individuals in rented accommodation. Can people be expected to invest this much into installing a charge point into a home that is not theirs?

In 2018 there were 2.48 million households in Scotland, 14% were in the private rented sector, 22 – 25% in the social rented sector and 61-62% in the owner-occupied sector (Gov, 2019). A large proportion of people in Scotland do not live in a property they own.

Arguably, households in rented accommodation are excluded from accessing means to reduce emissions. In particular low-income households.

Some individuals in Scotland have enough disposable income to invest in an electric vehicle and charging point with/without government loans and grants dependent on their eligibility.

However, for those without sufficient disposable income available, loans and grants are not enough, excluding a large portion of society from reducing their emissions. But transport is not the only area where financial inequality is prevalent and hinders Scotland’s climate change aims.

The Scottish government has been working to “promote home upgrades” to meet the net zero target (Sturgeon, 2021). Across the UK people’s homes contribute 22% of emissions (Sustainable Energy Association, 2019). However, as seen in the transport sector, sufficient support is not provided to lower income households.

As mentioned, over a 3rd of households in Scotland in 2018 were private or social rented (Gov, 2019).

The Future Homes Standard will be introduced in 2025 which will increase efficiency requirements of new homes being built (Gov, 2025). People who buy, rent or build their own new home are rarely low income.

Targets for existing property have also been set to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. T

he Scottish governments Housing to 2040 plan sets out objectives for increasing home efficiency. It states “To lead by example, we will aim for all new homes delivered by Registered Social Landlords and local authorities to be zero emissions homes by 2026” (Gov, 2021). 

The objective is there but the execution is not.

In 2018 it was found that 1 in 3 homes in Scotland did not meet the living home standard (Shelter Scotland, 2018).

The government is failing to improve energy efficiency in social houses. In Scotland, 38,046 social housing properties failed to meet minimum standards and 25,564 were exempt from meeting the standard (Campbell, 2021).

This is detrimental to the reduction of emissions within the housing sector but also highlights the issue of fuel poverty within Scotland. Moodie argues “the hardest to fix homes are being left until last” and as lots of social housing is old and inefficient, this is widening the gap between those in energy efficient housing and those in fuel poverty (from Campbell, 2021).

Moodie further argues, support that is available to homeowners and private tenants is not available to those in social housing (from Campbell, 2021). Therefore, financial inequality is evident in the housing sector in hindering the provision of energy efficient housing.

As with purchasing an electric car, government financial support is available to make homes more energy efficient. Interest free loans are available to cover costs of installing various renewables systems (Gov, 2021). 

Furthermore, households can receive a maximum of 40% cashback (with a maximum of £6000) for certain energy efficient improvements (Gov, 2021). This is an incentive for homeowners with sufficient disposable income to invest in making their home more efficient, especially due to increasing energy prices which are predicted to soar for years to come, yet a large proportion of society cannot afford to make these changes despite loans available (Jack, 2022).

The possibility of receiving cashback for efficiency improvements is not a sure enough return for many individuals who cannot afford to invest in upgrading their home.

For those living in private rented accommodation, this issue is amplified as individuals will not invest thousands of their own income in improving the efficiency of a home that is not theirs.

If they have to move, they have lost this investment therefore government support available is not appealing enough. Hence, those who cannot afford to improve their homes energy efficiency will suffer more as costs rise as well as their emissions remaining high.

To tackle issues of incentivising home energy efficiency and installation of charge points in rental property, landlords must be encouraged as oppose to tenants. A reduction of tax on landlord’s rental income for properties based on energy efficiency level and presence of an electric vehicle charge point would encourage improvements. Furthermore, moving into a rental property with a charge point makes purchasing an electric vehicle more accessible.

To conclude, the negative impact of financial inequality on Scotland’s aim to reach net zero by 2045 is evident in the transport and housing sector.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon states “that focus on justice and fairness will be central to Scotland’s whole approach to COP26” (Sturgeon, 2021). However, is there justice and fairness in the support available for the Scottish public to reduce their emissions?

With only zero interest loans available to aid the purchase electric vehicles, high upfront costs still prevent lower income households from accessing them.

Similarly, with interest free loans and cashback available to increase home energy efficiency, households with enough disposable income have incentive to upgrade homes however, support is not sufficient in aiding those with lower incomes.

The large proportion of the public who rent property are not incentivised to make improvements and as energy prices soar, the issue of fuel poverty increases with the government’s claims to upgrade the energy efficiency of social housing failing.

Scotland’s target of reaching net zero emissions is not attainable by 2045 with current inequality. It is clear that the if changes are not made, financial inequality within Scotland will prevent Scotland from meeting its net zero goal and tackling the climate crisis.

Ellen Keefe

Artisan Real Estate’s Rowanbank Gardens nominated for National Climate Crisis Award 

 

Artisan Real Estate’s wholesale commitment to sustainable residential development across the UK has been recognised with its Edinburgh-based Rowanbank Gardens development being nominated for a prestigious national accolade geared to tackling climate crisis.  

Rowanbank Gardens, in the bustling Edinburgh suburb of Corstorphine, has been shortlisted for the best residential Climate Crisis Initiative for the 2022 RESI Awards, which recognises excellence in UK-wide residential property.  

The award nomination reflects Artisan’s continued multi-million investment in fossil-fuel free regeneration-based residential projects in key regional city centres across the UK – with major developments currently taking place in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Bristol. 

Due for completion in 2023, Rowanbank Gardens provides immaculate environmental credentials creating a spectacular blueprint for low-carbon living. The industry-leading sustainable development, replacing a former care home on a brownfield site, is set to deliver 126 high quality apartments all with private gardens and balconies set around a shared courtyard garden in a well-connected central location. 

Welcoming the RESI Climate Crisis Initiative award nomination, Clive Wilding, Artisan’s Group Development Director said: “I am absolutely delighted that Rowanbank Gardens has won national recognition for its bold ambition to tackle the very real challenges of climate change which are currently facing our industry.  

“As a niche developer, Artisan Real Estate has always striven for improvement by creating a lower carbon footprint in the homes and buildings we create – not just in delivery but throughout their multi-generational lifespan. 

“Rowanbank Gardens is the latest manifestation of Artisan’s stated commitment towards a radical improvement in its development cycle to create the lowest possible carbon footprint in the residential buildings that the company creates. With innovations such as green roofs, it brings together smart energy-efficient design geared to achieving low to zero carbon ratings whilst responding to the rapidly changing requirements of home buyers and the wider community post-Covid.”

He added: “The evolution of Rowanbank Gardens shows that, as well as reducing urban sprawl by optimising the number of people living in well-designed sustainable homes in well-connected locations served by public transport, we are also pioneering the application of innovative technology to eliminate the use of fossil fuels whilst vastly reducing energy consumption.” 

Fuelled by a desire to transform brownfield city centre sites into sustainable, contemporary and low carbon homes developments, Artisan’s residential developments are creating a progressive residential blueprint which has a timely resonance for post-lockdown living across the UK.  

As well as Rowanbank Gardens, this has also helped shaped the delivery of the 179-apartment Canonmills Garden development, overlooking the Water of Leith to the north of Edinburgh’s city centre which is now nearing completion. 

The development has pioneered the integration of low and zero carbon generating technology, incorporating green roofs as well as a combined heat and power system helping to support building energy loads whilst charging electric vehicles, reducing both building and transport CO2 emissions.  

Artisan is also delivering the Kirkstall Place development in Leeds, providing 263 family homes designed to meet low carbon and non-fossil fuel standards together with substantial amounts of external space, providing a wide range of biodiversity. 

The winners of the 2022 RESI Awards will be revealed on Wednesday 11th May at a live ceremony in London.  

For more information on the awards, visit:

https://www.resiawards.com/resiawardslive/en/page/home 

‘Alarming’: Rising carbon footprint due to consumption of imported goods

Figures released by the Scottish Government yesterday (15 March) show that Scotland’s carbon footprint has increased for the first time in six years.

The greatest increase came from the greenhouse gas emissions from imported goods. Emissions from imports are now greater than the rest of Scotland’s emissions combined.

Scotland’s carbon footprint measures the greenhouse gas emissions from all the goods and services consumed by Scotland in a year. However, Scotland’s Net Zero targets only include greenhouse gases emitted in Scotland. Emissions from imports are excluded from national climate targets and this means they can rise unabated.

The Circular Economy Bill, which is due to be consulted on in May, is a chance for Scotland to reverse this trend and start taking responsibility for its environmental impacts overseas.

In a circular economy, materials consumption is reduced by reusing products rather than burning or burying them after a single use. This means producers need to think about how the product can be reused from the initial stages of design, and choose materials accordingly.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “The rise in Scotland’s carbon footprint is alarming. By only looking at the emissions produced at home, we are ignoring the greatest part of our carbon footprint and failing to play our full role in tackling the climate crisis.

“The climate emergency doesn’t recognise any borders, and by outsourcing the emissions from imports to other countries, the Scottish Government is shirking its responsibility.

“The Scottish Government can reverse the rise in emissions by putting strong consumption targets at the heart of its newly announced Circular Economy Bill – this is the only way to ensure that Scotland reduces its global environmental impact.”

Scotland’s carbon footprint was 70.4Mt CO2e in 2018, a 2.6% rise on the previous year.

SEPA publishes latest Household Waste statistics

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) statisticians have published Official Statistics which provide detail of Household Waste collected across all Local Authorities during 2020, as well as waste landfilled and incinerated in Scotland in 2020.

  • COVID impacts likely to be responsible for a 2.9 percentage point reduction in household recycling rates from 2019 to 42%
  • Household waste generated increased 0.3% to 2.4 million tonnes
  • Scottish household waste landfilled reduced by 13.0% to 660,000 tonnes
  • Carbon impact of household waste down 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent from 2011
  • Reduction of all waste landfilled in Scottish by 13.0% to 2.6 million tonnes
  • Increase of all waste incinerated in Scotland by 3.1% to 1.26 million tonnes

Household waste recycled and landfilled decreases

Scotland’s overall household waste recycling rate reduced from 44.9% to 42% from 2019, and 2.5 percentage points up from the 39.5% achieved in 2011. It is likely that COVID-19 impacts are the main driver behind this reduction.  The total amount of Scottish household waste recycled was 1.02 million tonnes, a decrease of 66,000 tonnes (6.1%) from 2019. 

There was a reduction in the amount of some waste materials recycled, such as construction and soils (reduction of 26,000 tonnes, 14.8%) and composting of vegetal wastes (reduction of 17,000 tonnes, 5.7%), while there was an increase in the amount of other waste materials recycled, such as such as glass wastes (15,000 tonnes, 14.4%) and plastic wastes (8.3%, 5,000 tonnes).

The amount of Scottish household waste landfilled in 2020 was 660,000 tonnes, a reduction of 98,000 tonnes (13.0%) from 2019, and a reduction 794,000 tonnes (54.6%) from 2011. This is the ninth consecutive decrease in household waste landfilled. This decrease is primarily due to more waste being diverted from landfill to incineration and in part less waste being generated.

For 2020, the total amount of Scottish household waste managed by other diversion from landfill was 748,000 tonnes, an increase of 171,000 tonnes (29.7%) from 2019 and an increase of 625,000 tonnes (508%) from 2011.  This includes waste incinerated, incinerator outputs recycled, and organic material recycled that does not meet quality standards.

2020 data reflects a continued downward trajectory since 2011 in Scotland’s household waste carbon impact. The carbon impact of Scottish household waste generated and managed in 2020 was 5.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (TCO2e), which is the equivalent to 1.00 TCO2e per person.

This was a decrease of 225,000 TCO2e from 2019, and a reduction of 1.33 million TCO2e since 2011. This is largely due to increased recycling for high impact waste materials as well as reductions in waste generated and reduced landfilling of biodegradable waste.

Data for every one of Scotland’s 32 local authorities are available on SEPA’s website.

Waste landfilled in Scotland sees continued reduction

The total quantity of waste landfilled in Scotland in 2020 was 2.6 million tonnes, a reduction of 390,000 tonnes (13.0%) from 2019 and a reduction of 4.4 million tonnes (62.9%) from 2005. This is the ninth consecutive reduction in waste landfilled across Scotland. This decrease is primarily due to more waste being diverted from landfill to incineration and in part less waste being generated.

Part of the reduction was largely due to less soils landfilled, which decreased by 340,000 tonnes (29.0%) from 2019.  This is likely a result of reduced construction activity in Scotland due to COVID-19 restrictions during the reporting period.

The waste landfilled in Scotland statistics are available on SEPA’s website

Waste incinerated in Scotland increases

The total quantity of waste incinerated in Scotland in 2020 was 1.26 million tonnes, an increase of 38,000 tonnes (3.1%) from 2019, and an increase of 855,000 tonnes (208%) from 2011. There was, however, a 15.3% reduction (75,000 tonnes) of wood waste incinerated, a likely impact of COVID-19 restrictions such as closure of household waste recycling centres and reduced construction activities during the reporting period.

The waste incinerated in Scotland statistics are available on SEPA’s website

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “Last month, the world came to Glasgow to agree global action on the climate emergency.  The message was clear that together, as counties, companies, or communities – we all have a role to play.

“How we use resources in our homes, workplaces, public services and private sector can have a real impact on Scotland’s environment.  Whilst It’s positive that for a ninth consecutive year we see a move from landfill, the latest data does reflect the realism of the public health emergency.

“What’s important is not the past, but what we do next.  We’ve shown that by working together, we can rise to the challenge of a healthcare emergency.  We need now to show that we can do this again in tackling the climate crisis.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, added: “There’s little doubt the disruption caused by the COVID_19 pandemic hit recycling efforts in 2020. In particular, the closure of recycling centres in many areas seems to have had the greatest impact. 

“The good news is that the volume of materials collected for recycling at the kerbside increased, showing that there is a keen appetite to recycle more amongst householders. 

“There was a huge collective effort from local authority staff in all departments, as well as private sector resource management companies, to keep the show on the road during the strictest lockdowns, and periods of heavy staff absence. This hard work was very much appreciated by the public. Without all of these efforts, the recycling rate may have been more severely affected.  

Iain Gulland concluded, “As we move out of the initial shock to services caused by the pandemic, we need to redouble our collective efforts to increase the national recycling rate, with improved infrastructure and continued engagement with householders.”