The third Diwali in the series of Diwalis started by the Scotland Chapter of Hindu Forum Britain was celebrated in the UK Government Hub in Edinburgh on 1st November 2021 (writes Ms RICHA SINHA).
The first Diwali was celebrated by the Hindu Forum Britain in the Scottish Parliament in 2019 and the second one was a Virtual Diwali Hosted Online due to Covid-19.
With a view to supporting COP26, , which started on the same day on 1st Nov 2021, HFB Scotland Chapter celebrated Eco-Diwali, highlighting through Diwali event, the salience that Hindu ethos places on respecting and protecting the environment.
The Eco-Diwali was celebrated at Queen Elizabeth house, sponsored by Ministers of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.
As the UK secretary of state for Scotland was busy with Cop26 conference the event was hosted by Hon Lord Offord of Garvel, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
The event was attended by numerous faith Leaders and Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Mr Angus Robertson and MSPs including Alex Cole-Hamilton and Pam Gosal.
The programme commenced with the Ceremonial Eco Lamp Lighting ceremony by the Guests
Mr Puneet Dwivedi, Vice president HFB with the help of his Team of Volunteers organized the most colourful celebrations and with sacred chants, traditional Indian dances, followed by speeches by dignitaries.
There were slide shows highlight community works by the temples in Scotland, spotlighting the environmental action being undertaken by the Hindu temples and organisations.
Puneet Dwivedi welcomed guests byhighlighting the contribution of Scottish Hindu Community during COVID crisis be it amazing frontline workers like doctors and nurses to the temples who opened the kitchen to feed the vulnerable and support the key workers.
He explained how Hindu philosophy consists of eco-friendly principles and practices and has been passed down through generations.
Puneet also highlighted small and sustainable steps taken by Hindu community to protect mother earth e.g. HFB officially launched its Hindu Environmental Task Force (HETF) on 18th September to raise awareness and to support its member organisations to become increasingly more environmental; ISKCON Scotland launched the Cow care project, where Cows and Bulls will be cared for till their natural death.
This project serve as an example of sustainable agriculture by working with bulls, and most temples in Scotland signed the Environmental Charter.
Lord Offord gave the beautiful message of hope with the vaccine of light driving away the disease of darkness.
He was happy to greet his colleagues from Holyrood and pledged towards one common goal which was betterment of people of every political stride and every religion.
He had visited Mumbai recently and recollected his time when tattoo met Bollywood with dancers mixing up and thanked Hindu Forum Britain for bringing the event to Queen Elizabeth House and wished them well in future endeavours.
Cabinet Secretary Mr Angus Robertson started by passing his best wishes from Nicola sturgeon and mentioned how he attended every single Diwali Reception when in Westminster.
He added that the Hindu traditions have deep reverence to the natural world and reminds us our actions have consequences. He Congratulated Hindu Forum Britain’s Hindu environmental task forces and said that the government was indebted for the work done by the Hindu community who have so many in the vital front line services.
Sister Jayanti From BrahmaKumari made reference to Goddess of wealth Lakshmi, and said the word comes from ‘Lakshan’ which means virtues and reminded us of the wealth of virtues.
As much as we clean home we should clean our Inner beings and environment of pollution so wealth of virtues can come to our lives to create a better world. She ended her speech with ‘Om Shanti’ which means lets there be world peace.
Lord Wallace, moderator of the Church of Scotland spoke of the Vigil that took place in George Square and common hope and congratulated all faith organisations to come together to spread the message of hope.
Maulana Imam Syed Razazvi thanked HFB president Mrs Trupti Patel and Hindu community and reiterated that we are friends and we can always rely on each other.
The program was interspersed by elegant and graceful Indian classical Dance performances by Theiya Arts, where the performers (Ms Himadri Madan, Ms Nandini Manjunath, Ms Karen Watts & Ms Tharanga Wickramsinghe) presented an Indian and Sri Lankan classical forms dedicated to mother earth and our environment: this dance form has evolved from the natural world around us, as a way to embody nature and our environment and incorporate it into our being and storytelling.
HFB president Ms Trupti Patel, sent video message as she couldn’t attend the event. In her video message she highlighted the connection between celtic people and vedic people and how Scottish Hindu Community can work together by taking steps to preserve our environment.
Mr Mithilesh Vaddiparthi, who holds a guinness world records in singing sung the beautiful devotional song “Vaishnav Jan To..” and ended his singing with traditional rendition and the foot tapping “Jai ho “
MSP Alex-Cole Hamilton, who has become quite the favourite of the Hindu Diaspora in Edinburgh, with his past heartfelt speeches lured the audience with his Indian greeting of ‘Namaste’ ‘Om Shanti ‘ and Jai Shri Ram. He highlighted that Diwali is also time to triumph of light over ignorance over climate change.
Pam Gosal in her speech mentioned how the first 2 Indian Scottish Ministers joining the Scottish Parliament and the First Hindu Minister in Sandesh Gulhane has added to the Diversity in Parliament.
Finally HFB Scotland Chapter Diwali brochures were launched by the Minsiters, Cabinet Secreteary, MSP & Armed forces officials
The vote of Thanks was given by Richa Sinha who spoke about what it means for her to be a Scottish Hindu and thanked the leadership in creating an atmosphere where she could take pride in her Scottish Hindu Identity and contribute to the diversity of this great nation.
Hindu Forum Britain are proud to carry out the 3rd consecutive Diwali Celebration and hope the tradition will continue in the years to come and bring the Diverse Scottish Hindu community together with all faiths working together for the betterment of the nation.
This Diwali reception by Hindus in Scotland hosted by HFB Scotland is the only event that encompasses and invites members and peers from all political parties to share the colourful and wondrous Diwali celebration with Hindu community leaders, religious leaders and leading figures from businesses across Britain.
The spirit of hope, friendship, religious tolerance peace and harmony that Deepavali embodies is really quite profound and resonates with people of all faiths.
COP President Alok Sharma will announce how £165 million of UK funding will progress gender equality while tackling climate change
Two new programmes to boost women’s climate leadership and support those most vulnerable to climate change.
Ministers and representatives from private sector and civil society from across the world will meet at Gender Day at COP26 to announce new commitments which address the links between climate action and gender equality.
At its COP26 Gender Day today (Tuesday 9 November), the UK will announce £165 million to tackle climate change while addressing the inequalities that make women and girls more vulnerable to climate change and empowering them to take climate action.
Around the world, the UN has found that women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than men, in part because they constitute a large majority of the world’s poor and often depend on small-scale farming for a livelihood, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Women and children can comprise 80% of those displaced by climate-related disaster. But addressing gender inequality has also been proven to advance efforts to tackle climate change.
£165 million in UK funding will drive forward these aims:
up to £45 million to help empower local communities and grassroots women’s groups in Asia and the Pacific to challenge gender inequalities and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
£120 million to build resilience, prevent pollution, protect biodiversity, strengthen renewable energy and better manage waste, while also supporting women’s leadership, access to finance, education and skills in Bangladesh.
The chair of the flagship Gender Day event, UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “It is women, girls and those who are already most marginalised, that will be most severely impacted by climate change. But they also have a critical role to play to address the climate crisis.
“The UK is committed to addressing this dual challenge head on, committing new funding to empower communities and women’s groups to take locally-led adaptation action, to build local, national and global resilience. I urge more countries to make commitments to implement the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan and deliver the goals of the Feminist Action for Climate Justice.”
Through its COP26 Presidency, the UK has been urging countries around the world to put gender equality at the heart of climate action, and will today convene ministers and other actors to discuss new action to tackle gender and climate change. A number of countries and stakeholders will also announce bold new gender and climate commitments today.
The UK will jointly launch a toolkit on gender-smart climate finance. Co-led by CDC, the UK’s Development Finance Institution, the toolkit will improve understanding on the opportunities of gender-sensitive climate investment by providing guidance to the finance community on how to deliver climate outcomes while promoting gender equality and women’s economic opportunities.
Fatou Jeng, Founder, Clean Earth Gambia and Co-Lead YOUNGO Women and Gender working group, said: “Gender inequality creates additional burdens and barriers for women and girls during times of conflict and climate-related crisis which increases their risks of hunger, food insecurity and violence. But women play fundamental roles in local food systems and are carers and activists, which make them uniquely placed to drive longer term climate resilience.
“Women should be involved in the policy making, project planning and implementation of climate adaptation projects, and gender equality should be a key portion in climate financing. If gender equality is not taken as a serious issue in our climate decision-making, climate financing and climate adaptation processes, it will undermine opportunities for women in vulnerable communities to drive effective climate change adaptation and mitigation approaches that meet their needs.”
COP26 President Alok Sharma and Anne-Marie Trevelyan will host the UK’s Presidency Gender Day event accompanied by Little Amal, the 3.5 metre puppet travelling 8,000km in support of refugees, and Brianna Fruean, a Samoan Climate Change activist.
The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, will speak along with youth advocate Fatou Jeng, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Asa Regner and Indigenous activist Tarcila Rivera Zea, for a discussion on how to enable gender equality through climate actions. The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, will also address the event.
Minister for Europe and the Americas, Wendy Morton, will also announce the UK’s new commitment to develop a FCDO girls’ education and climate policy to help secure concerted global action on climate change in the education sector, to prevent climate change disrupting girls’ education and empowering girls to take climate action.
This follows COP26 Youth and Public Empowerment Day last week, where the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education Helen Grant announced support for girls’ education in the face of climate change. This includes an £85,000 research grant to support the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Centre will produce better information on the education needs of refugee children to enable a more effective international response.
As COP26 arrives at its half way point, Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie looks ahead to the second week while praising both protesters and police.
Assistant Chief Constable Ritchie said yesterday: “For such a highly significant event, to reach the end of the first week with fewer than 50 arrests being made is testament to the fact the relationship between protesters and the police has been largely non-contentious.
“Despite today being a rest day at the conference, Police Scotland has, once again, engaged positively with protest organisers and attendees at a number of events across Glasgow, with minimum disruption to the wider community.
“As you’ll no doubt know, Police Scotland has spent more than 18 months preparing for COP26, and a great deal of effort has gone into ensuring our policing plan is robust but reactive, but also welcoming while balancing the right to protest with the rights of our communities.
“All of our work is underpinned by human rights and a great deal of effort has been taken to ensure our response to COP26-related incidents and events is necessary and proportionate, and that our ethos and values of integrity, fairness and respect is shared by both our own officers and our mutual aid colleagues who have travelled to Scotland from across the UK to support us.
“This event has already provided us with some unique challenges, but our officers and staff have risen to face them, and the broadly good nature of the members of the public we are interacting with has made this a widely positive experience.
“I very much hope this atmosphere continues into the second week ahead of COP26 coming to its conclusion next weekend.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is urging countries to keep up the momentum on the fight against climate change in the week ahead at the COP26 summit.
The first week of COP26 saw around 120 leaders gather for the World Leaders Summit as well as negotiators, officials and ministers come together to make progress on the shared goal of limiting global temperatures to 1.5 degrees.
Progress has been made so far includes:
New commitments to net zero by middle of the century means 90% of the world economy is covered, triple the figure when the UK took on the COP Presidency.
More than 120 countries, covering 88% of the world’s forests, have agreed to end and reverse deforestation. Countries representing more than 70% of the world’s economy are committed to delivering clean and affordable technology everywhere by 2030 in the most polluting sectors.
Over 100 countries have agreed to cut their emissions of methane by 30% by 2030.
New commitments to increase finance to support developing countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and implement ambitious emissions-reductions plans.
More than 20 countries have made commitments for the first time to phase out coal power, including five of the world’s top 20 coal power-using countries, and at least 25 countries and public finance institutions commit to ending international public support for the unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022.
45 nations have pledged urgent action and investment to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming, as well as over 100 countries now signed up to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030.
The views of over 40,000 young climate leaders have been presented to ministers, negotiators and officials.
Marking the halfway point in the summit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “There is one week left for COP26 to deliver for the world, and we must all pull together and drive for the line.
“We have seen nations bring ambition and action to help limit rising temperatures, with new pledges to cut carbon and methane emissions, end deforestation, phase out coal and provide more finance to countries most vulnerable to climate change.
“But we cannot underestimate the task at hand to keep 1.5C alive. Countries must come back to the table this week ready to make the bold compromises and ambitious commitments needed.”
Attention turns to negotiations this coming week. The UK Government says these negotiations are incredibly complicated, and notoriously hard. Teams from the UK and 195 other countries plus the EU will work to reach collective agreement on more than 200 pages of text.
They will be negotiating the issues left open by the Paris Agreement in 2015, like the process for tracking how all countries are keeping their climate commitments and how we create a fairer global system so no nation is disadvantaged by being more ambitious on cutting emissions.
Everyone has to agree, or nothing is agreed. But the progress in the first week of COP has put us in a strong position, the UK government believes.
The UK’s COP26 Presidency programme continues this coming week, with the spotlight put on transport, adaptation, gender, science, and cities and regions.
The UK has been leading the way and setting a high bar for other countries to follow – including being the first major economy to commit in law to net zero, setting one of the most ambitious targets to cut emissions by 68% by 2030, phasing out coal power by 2024, ending the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, halting deforestation by 2030, and providing £11.6bn in finance – with an extra £1bn if the economy grows as forecast – to countries on the frontline of climate change.
FIRST MINISTER: ‘STILL A LONG WAY TO GO’
Those least responsible but most affected by climate change must be heard at COP26, the First Minister has said as the second week of negotiations gets underway.Nicola Sturgeon said governments must use this week to deliver on more and fairer financial support for Global South countries.
The First Minister will meet with an interfaith group of representatives today as part of a series of meetings with Global South leaders this week.
They are expected to discuss the important role that faith and belief communities play in fostering community cohesion and how this can contribute to tackling climate change – as well as sharing their views on the current negotiations.
Following that, the First Minister will take part in a presentation with representatives from Malawi and Tanzania as part of the Glasgow Climate Dialogues, a series of talks co-hosted by the Scottish Government and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland that set out climate priorities from the Global South for COP26.
Later this week, the First Minister is expected to meet with delegates from island states and regions to discuss the particular challenges experienced by those communities and how countries in the Global North can show solidarity with them.
The First Minister said: “Some progress was made last week with commitments on forestry, methane, coal, and pledges that, if delivered, could reduce the gap between the 1.5 degree target that science says we must hit, and the 2.7 degree trajectory we are currently on, but there is still a long way to go to deliver a fair and just outcome for all countries at COP 26.
“The next five days are critical to countries in the south who need fair financial support now to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of the climate emergency and who need to see clear steps taken to keep the target of capping temperature increases at 1.5 degrees alive.
“On the day where adaptation, loss and damage as a result of climate change are at the heart of COP, I am determined to do what I can to ensure leaders and negotiators hear the voices of those most impacted by the climate emergency.
“It is why we have committed to doubling our world-first Climate Justice Fund to £24m, and announced a £1m partnership to help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities tackle structural inequalities and recover from climate induced loss and damage.
“Over the next five days the world will be watching to see if the sense of optimism that has built up through last week can be turned into real action by countries around the world to tackle the climate crisis.”
Doctors in Shetland have led a climate demonstration calling on the UK Government to cancel the planned development of the Cambo oilfield, which lies under the north Atlantic seabed just 150 miles to the west of the islands.
The UN Secretary General, António Guiterres, exclaimed that the climate crisis had reached “code red for humanity” and said that countries must end all new fossil fuel exploration and production, shifting fossil fuel subsidies into renewable energy. Despite this warning, the UK government has recently doubled down on its commitment to exploit the Cambo field.
Doctors are concerned as research shows that heating of the earth’s climate could jeopardise food security for billions of people, leading to mass starvation across huge swathes of the planet. Despite being a wealthy country, the UK is vulnerable as it currently imports most of its food from overseas.
Local consultant paediatrician Dr Alex Armitage said that he felt a professional duty to join yesterday’s demonstration and push for more urgent action.
“To reach net zero we must have a complete transformation of our society now. If we do not, I fear that children that I see in my clinic will face unimaginable horrors in their lifetimes,” he said.
“It feels difficult in Shetland coming and making a public stand against the fossil fuel industry, which employs many people locally and has brought prosperity to Shetland. However, the need for urgent decarbonisation is clear.
“We live in one of the windiest places in the northern hemisphere, in Shetland we have a huge opportunity to rapidly transition our energy economy into renewables. Opening up the Cambo oilfield shows a glaring lack of climate leadership from the government”
Dr Deepa Shah, GP for the South Mainland, explained how moving to a low carbon economy could benefit public health: “Action on climate change through decarbonisation of our lifestyles will not only improve the health of our planet but will also lead to significantly better mental and physical health for my patients.
“This will come about through healthier diets, more active travel, better insulated homes and a corresponding reduction in fuel poverty.
“Taking action on climate change means both a sustainable future on this planet for our children and also longer, healthier lives for ourselves”
The health workers led yesterday’s march from Lerwick health centre to Lerwick Town Hall.
Leading figures, including Will Travers OBE, Dominic Dyer, Deborah Meaden and Pen Farthing, to debate the importance of habitat, wildlife protection and animal welfare
“The time for talking is almost over. CoP26 is our last and best chance to discuss, agree and invest in the bold, decisive actions needed to reverse biodiversity loss, wean ourselves off fossil fuels, reach carbon neutral by 2030 (not 2050), clean up our oceans and our air, end the exploitation of the many by the few – and save ourselves. Born Free remains positive, but I believe it is now or never.” – Will Travers OBE. Exec President and Co-Founder, Born Free
As part of the Cabinet Office Green Zone event programme at the COP26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow, leading wildlife charity, Born Free, is hosting a key debate on the ‘State of the Earth’, in the format of a Question Time event at the IMax Cinema at the Science Centre, Glasgow, on Sunday 7 November from 12.30 to 2.30pm.
The event will be chaired by Born Free Policy Advisor and Wildlife Advocate Dominic Dyer, based on the format of the BBC current affairs programme, with questions for the panel being submitted by the audience of over 400 delegates and attendees.
Dominic Dyer, Chair of the event and Born Free’s Policy Advisor, said: “The climate emergency is not just a crisis for the future of human civilisation, it also endangers the future of the natural world and all animal life on this planet.
“In our lifetime, we have seen a 68% global decline in animal population sizes around the world, largely due to deforestation, unsustainable industrial agriculture, illegal wildlife trade and the growing impact of climate change.
“It’s time to end the exploitation and destruction of the natural world and usher in a new era where we re-wild landscapes, restore our oceans, and create a new world where wildlife and people can live in harmony and thrive together.”
Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, businesswoman and passionate animal welfare campaigner commented: “There is a huge focus on Net Zero going in to COP26, but it is important we also consider the wider issues which feed into the health of our planet, including biodiversity, animal welfare, plastics and pollution.
“I am delighted to be sitting on such a knowledgeable and diverse panel to discuss how we can best tackle these hugely important issues.”
Craig Bennett, CEO Wildlife Trusts concluded: “COP26 represents an import moment in time when we all need to question and reflect how well we are doing in tackling the climate & ecological emergency.
“This Question Time event provides a great opportunity for anyone to ask questions of the panel about any issues and to participate in this timely and urgent debate.”
Born Free’s Head of Policy, veterinarian Dr Mark Jones, added: “The biodiversity and climate crises are inextricably linked. Nature acts as a natural carbon store and a buffer to global warming and the effects of extreme weather events.
“Addressing global warming is key to ensuring species can continue to survive and thrive in the habitats they have evolved to live in. This event is a real opportunity drive home the message to decision makers that we need to act, and act now, to limit global warming and protect nature and wildlife, for the sake of all life on earth.”
Pen Farthing, CEO and Founder, Nowzad, added: “The Born Free ‘State of the Earth’ Question Time is an important opportunity to engage with a live audience on how we can make this world a better place for people, nature and animals, at home and abroad.”
The sold-out panel discussion will be held in front of a live audience of over 400 delegates as well as livestreamed to a large global audience here:
Projects that restore nature and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss will benefit from a share of at least £13.5 million annually through a Scottish Government fund set up following agreement with the Scottish Green Party.
The Nature Restoration Fund will fund projects that address the biodiversity and climate crisis by putting Scotland’s species, woodlands, rivers and seas back on the road to recovery.
A Programme for Government commitment, the fund comprises a multi-year package of at least £55 million over the next five years.
On Nature Day at COP26, the First Minister and Minister Patrick Harvie visited the Seven Lochs project in Easterhouse to meet members of local community youth groups and take part in wildflower planting near a new habitat for endangered water voles.
Seven Lochs is a partnership project which has received funding from both the Biodiversity Challenge Fund and the Green Infrastructure Fund.
The First Minister said: “Today’s investment is our biggest ever grant scheme specifically targeted at nature restoration, reaffirming our commitment to addressing the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change.
“Most importantly, following the UK government’s withdrawal from the EU Life scheme, it will enable large-scale, multi-year, projects of the kind which are simply not possible with annual grants.
“We have reached a critical juncture for action – with the hosting of COP26 here in Glasgow and COP15 in Kunming, China next Spring – and we in Scotland are playing a leading role.
“Through our leadership of the Edinburgh Process we are working to build commitment among governments around the world to raise the ambition at next year’s COP15 international biodiversity summit, in line with our own goal to halt the ongoing loss of nature by 2030.
“In addition today am delighted to formally endorsed the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, further embedding Scotland’s place among leading nations with the highest environmental ambition.”
Mr Harvie said: “We are a part of nature, not apart from it. If we can’t support nature then we can’t support humanity. Scotland is committed to ramping up nature based solutions that create a greener, fairer and more prosperous nation for all.
“This funding will mean new projects going forward across Scotland – on land and at sea – that address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, restore our natural environment and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities.”
Deborah Long, Chief Officer at Scottish Environment LINK, the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, said: “The Nature Restoration Fund is a hugely important weapon in our fight against nature loss and climate change.
“By investing in multi-year, multi scale projects, focussed on the species and habitats that need most help, a future for Scotland’s nature, young people and communities across Scotland looks a lot more promising.”
The Nature Restoration Fund supports action on the ground to address the biodiversity and climate crises by aiding nature restoration in Scotland’s terrestrial and marine environment, enabling transformative change through large-scale, multi-year, multi-partner projects.
This forms part of the wider commitment to invest £500 million in the natural economy over the course of the parliament to support a transformative approach to protecting and restoring Scotland’s biodiversity.
Funding will comprise of at least £13.5 million for each year of the current Parliament session (£11 million CDEL and £2.5 million RDEL per year), plus £1 million across the Parliament for administrative costs.
Devolved governments, regions and cities from across the globe will today send a strong message to world leaders by committing to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will tell the General Assembly of the Under2 Coalition that by signing up to the pledge in a new memorandum of understanding, they will be signalling the level of ambition required of COP26 to keep global warming to 1.5°C.
Promising Scotland’s continued support for the coalition, which has 260 members representing 1.75 billion people and 50% of the global economy, the First Minister said: “Everyone knows what is required for this summit to be a success.
“COP26 must secure the commitments that will limit global warming to 1.5°C or, at the very least, the near term commitments that will keep that objective alive.
“It must also deliver a fair financial settlement for developing countries, one which takes account of the loss and damage caused by climate change.
“There’s no doubt that over the past week we have seen progress. But it’s also clear that we’ve not yet seen enough.
“Over the coming days, world leaders – and the biggest emitters and potential funders especially – must step up. That is essential.
“But governments like ours must continue to play our part because, while none of us are at the negotiating table, our influence and our example will be crucial in building the momentum. That’s why we are placing so much value on our coalition’s revised memorandum of understanding.
“As we move further into this decisive decade, our coalition must be ready for the challenges ahead. As European co-chair, that will be my focus.
“Scotland is determined to play its part in ensuring the long-term strength of this coalition because we recognise its enormous value and its potential to achieve even more.”
The 2021 Under2 Coalition Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by delegates during today’s General Assembly at Strathclyde University.
All under 22s resident in Scotland will have access to free bus travel from 31 January 2022, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed, implementing a commitment agreed with the Scottish Green Party.
New research commissioned by Transport Scotland shows that almost two-thirds (61%) of young Scots agree that access to public transport will play a central role in the fight against climate change.
School pupils, students and social media influencers joined the First Minister and Mr Harvie at Glasgow Caledonian University to mark COP26’s Youth and Empowerment Day on board a new, Scottish-built electric bus as she confirmed the scheme.
The change means around 930,000 young people across Scotland will benefit from free bus travel from 31 January 2022.
Transport Scotland research showed 70% of young people indicate they would use public transport more frequently if it was free.
The Scottish Government has committed to removing the majority of fossil fuelled buses from public transport by 2023.
A Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce has been convened which brings bus operators, the supply chain, energy companies and financiers together to co-design a pathway to a fully zero-emission bus fleet.
Transport Scotland has made £50 million available to the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund, to further support the Scottish bus fleet to transition to zero emission.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are committed to giving our young people the very best chances to succeed in life. The extension of free bus travel to all under 22s will improve access to education, leisure, and work, while supporting the adoption of sustainable travel behaviours early in their lives.
“COP26 must be a turning point for the world, and action must be taken if we are to ‘keep 1.5 alive’, and Governments across the world must act to support this. Adopting more sustainable travel behaviour is vital if we are to reach our world-leading goal of reducing the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2045.”
Stewart (17), Young Scot volunteer on the COP26 Youth Climate Programme said: “Free bus travel for young people in Scotland is a fantastic way to help tackle the climate emergency – an issue that’s so important to young people as we are the generation who will be most impacted.
“Not only will it help to reduce our carbon emissions, but it will also support young people like me to study, socialise, get to work and make the most of their lives. It’s a win win!”
Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, Patrick Harvie MSP said: “This transformational policy shows that our focus on tackling the climate emergency goes hand in hand with improving lives and tackling inequality.
“Free bus travel will open up opportunities for young people and ease pressure on family budgets while helping deliver the step-change we need to deliver on our climate commitments.
“Children and young people travelling for free on modern, zero-carbon electric buses is another step towards the fairer, greener Scotland we are committed to building.”
Paul Davies, President & Managing Director of Alexander Dennis said: “Scotland’s under 22s will have a unique opportunity to make sustainable travel choices with free bus travel across the country.
“COP26 is showing that future generations must be at the heart of climate policy and the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme is an excellent example of forward-looking policy in action.
“With the Scottish Government funding zero emission buses that are built right here in Scotland, young people can be sure their journeys will not only be smooth, clean and green, but will benefit communities through the skilled jobs, apprenticeship and graduate opportunities underpinned by this investment.”
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald said: “The SNP Scottish Government is once again making an investment in our young people’s future. By making bus travel free for U22s both her in Edinburgh and across Scotland, opportunities for young people to work, travel and study are being opened up for them.
“Travelling by bus is one of the most environmentally friendly way to get across the country and research shows that young people recognise the vital role public transport will play in hitting our climate change targets.
“This move will not only be vital in our journey to net zero, but will also take pressure off young people and their families’ finances.
“Once again this is a demonstration of how the SNP Scottish Government continues to support young people here in the city and across Scotland have the best possible start in life.”
Governments, farmers and businesses commit to urgent action to protect our land and make our agriculture and food systems more sustainable for the future
Forty-five governments, led by the UK, will pledge urgent action and investment to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming at the COP26 Nature and Land-Use Day happening today (Saturday 6 November).
Approximately one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, forestry and other land-use – creating an urgent need to reform the way we grow and consume food in order to tackle climate change.
Urgent action on land use is needed as demand for food increases. We are currently losing forests, damaging soils and rapidly destroying other ecosystems that play a critical role in absorbing carbon and cooling the planet. Farmers’ livelihoods are also under increasing pressure as climate change impacts on productivity. To help farmers adapt and to make our food system more resilient for the future, more sustainable practices are essential.
Countries from across the world will set out their commitment to transform agriculture and food systems through policy reforms, research and innovation in order to reduce emissions and protect nature, whilst securing food and jobs.
This includes leveraging over US$4 billion of new public sector investment into agricultural innovation, including the development of climate resilient crops and regenerative solutions to improve soil health, helping make these techniques and resources affordable and accessible to hundreds of millions of farmers.
This commitment includes a pledge to support internationally agreed “Action Agendas” which set out steps that governments, farmers and others can take through policy reform and innovation to deliver the changes necessary for sustainable food systems.
Sixteen countries will launch a “Policy Action Agenda” and more than 160 stakeholders will join a “Global Agenda for Innovation in Agriculture” to lead the way on the global transition towards climate resilient agriculture and food systems to more sustainable ways of farming.
As part of the Prime Minister’s commitment to spend at least £3 billon of International Climate Finance on nature and biodiversity, the UK will launch a new £500 million package to help protect five million hectares of rainforests from deforestation, an area equivalent to over 3.5 million football pitches.
The funding will create thousands of green jobs, including in sustainable agriculture and forestry, throughout rainforest regions and generate £1 billion of green private sector investment to tackle climate change around the world.
Speaking ahead of Nature and Land-Use day, Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “To keep 1.5 degrees alive, we need action from every part of society, including an urgent transformation in the way we manage ecosystems and grow, produce and consume food on a global scale.
“We need to put people, nature and climate at the core of our food systems. The UK government is leading the way through our new agricultural system in England, which will incentivise farmers to farm more sustainably, create space for nature on their land and reduce carbon emissions.
“There needs to be a fair and just transition that protects the livelihoods and food security of millions of people worldwide – with farmers, indigenous people and local communities playing a central role in these plans.”
UK will also outline a range of new funding commitments from the £3 billion fund for nature, including:
Nearly £25 million out of the £150 million from BEIS’ Mobilising Finance for Forests (MFF) programme will be invested to develop sustainable supply chains in tropical countries
An investment of over £38 million into a new global research initiative through the world’s leading agricultural research organisation, the CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research), to address the climate crisis and protect nature while advancing gender equality, poverty reduction, and food and nutrition security
The UK will contribute up to £40 million of international climate finance to establish the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate. The Global Centre will address critical research gaps in how the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity can deliver climate solutions and improve livelihoods in developing countries
The UK will also launch a £65 million Just Rural Transition support programme to help developing countries move towards more sustainable methods of agriculture and food production. This will include support to ensure that farmers are included in policy-making processes, including through consultations, trials and pilot programmes for new technologies and approaches.
The UK will announce its support for the US/UAE-led Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) which will mobilise over £4 billion of new global public sector investment in agricultural innovation, research and development over the next five years with contributions from over 30 countries for public and private sector as well as knowledge partners.
These new partnerships will help accelerate adoption of more climate resilient and sustainable agriculture practices to deliver healthy diets, improve the trade in agricultural goods, contributing to a healthier planet and a more prosperous future.
The production of commodities such as beef, soy, palm oil and cocoa is a major driver of deforestation. Twenty-eight governments, including the UK, representing 75% of global trade in key commodities that can threaten forests – such as palm oil, cocoa and soya – have come together through the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Roadmap which was created at COP26 to deliver sustainable trade and reduce pressure on forests, including support for smallholder farmers and improving the transparency of supply chains.
As holders of this year’s G7 and COP26 Presidency, Nature and Land-Use day will build on the Government’s promise to lead both the UK and the nations of the world to build back greener, secure a global net zero and keep 1.5 degrees within reach.
In a landmark step, almost 100 high-profile UK companies will agree to work towards halting and reversing the decline of nature by 2030 and commit to getting ‘Nature Positive’. This includes OVO Energy announcing its commitment in planting one million trees in the UK within the next year and Severn Trent pledging to restore over 2,000 acres of peatland across England and Wales by 2025.
Burberry has also unveiled a new biodiversity strategy, which includes the assurance that all its key material will be 100% traceable by 2025, for instance, through sourcing more sustainable cotton, leather and wool, as well as recycled polyester and nylon.
Commitments also include a pledge by Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose to cut their environmental impact across climate, deforestation and nature in a ‘Retailers Commitment for Nature’ with WWF.
UK Clean Growth, Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said: “If we are to keep the 1.5 degrees target in reach, we need to work with other nations to halt global deforestation, investing in the sustainable trading of commodities that will help communities thrive, while protecting our planet for generations to come.
“Backed by a £500m package of support, today’s historic UK commitment at COP26 will help protect millions of hectares of land, boosting rural communities and forest-friendly businesses, while creating thousands of green jobs across the world’s rainforest regions.
WWF Chief Executive Tanya Steele said: “The climate and nature crisis are two sides of the same coin and we can’t turn things around unless we transform our food system, which is destroying forests and habitats in some of our most fragile landscapes.
“The commitment from leading UK supermarkets to halve the food retail sector’s environmental impact by 2030 will help millions of families make their weekly shop greener and help reverse the loss of nature.”
Justin Adams, Executive Director, Tropical Forest Alliance, World Economic Forum said: “The FACT Dialogue process has created new momentum – from 28 countries – to work on issues of trade, forests and finance in an integrated way.
“Bringing these governments together – from the global south and north – to tackle the issue of commodity production and deforestation head on is a very significant development. Continued dialogue after COP26 will be critical to progress.”
The full package of commitments and action includes:
Agricultural reform and innovation:
A Global Action Agenda on Innovation in Agriculture – launched today – to transform food systems under climate change. It was launched with support from more than 150 allies from governments, researchers, farmers and businesses. It will drive action to close the innovation gap that limits our efforts to adapt to and mitigate climate change, while accelerating efforts towards greater food security around the world.
The Policy Action Agenda – launched today – sets out pathways and actions that countries can take to repurpose public policies and support to food and agriculture, to deliver these outcomes and enable a just rural transition. It also sets out actions and opportunities for other stakeholders (international organisations, food producers, financial entities, researchers, civil society and others) to channel their expertise, knowledge and resources in support of this agenda.
A new global initiative launched to reach 100 million farmers at the centre of food systems transformation with net zero and nature positive innovations by 2030 via a multistakeholder platform convened by World Economic Forum (WEF) involving farmers’ organisations, civil society, businesses and other partners.
New UK funding to the CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) the world’s leading agricultural science and innovation organisation, which will create and scale new crops and technologies yielding climate, nature, health, gender and economic impact (£38.5m over two years). Funding will support the development and deployment of:
Crop varieties that are climate-resilient (more resistant to heat, drought and flooding) and more nutritious (with elevated levels of essential micronutrients);
agricultural practices that are more productive, sustainable and climate-resilient;
new livestock varieties, diagnostics and management practices, which reduce the risks faced by pastoralists and livestock keepers;
Foresight and trade off tools for risk management of, and resilience to, major threats emerging from the food system, including anti-microbial resistance and emerging zoonotic diseases;
evidence on better policies to help poor farmers use new technology to access markets, reduce risks and increase incomes.
A new UK Government initiative to transform climate-resilient food systems through research and innovation. The Gilbert Initiative will coordinate investments in evidence generation, technology development and delivery to support a food system that by 2030 feeds nine billion people with nutritious, safe foods; uses environmental resources sustainably; enhances resilience and adaptation to climate change; and generates inclusive growth and jobs.
Ocean Action:
At COP26, more than 10 new countries signed up to the 30by30 target, including Bahrain, Jamaica, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, Qatar, Samoa, Tonga, Gambia and Georgia.
The UK announced a £6m investment into the World Bank’s PROBLUE, as part of its Blue Planet Fund – supporting the development of the blue economy to act as a key driver of growth in small island developing states (SIDS) and coastal least developed countries. The programme works across a broad range of activities, from sustainable tourism to developing aquaculture markets; from fostering the transition to circular economies to investment into NbS as a powerful vehicle for delivering disaster risk reduction and improved water resource management.
The UK also announced it that it will be contributing to a UN-led programme to support the government of Fiji in issuing its first sovereign blue bond. The blue bond will help to create a supportive environment for sustainable ocean finance in Fiji, supporting projects that improve ocean health and support the livelihoods of coastal communities.
The UK has also announced an additional £1m contribution to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), in addition to the £5m we announced earlier this year. GFCR is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of coral reef ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. The UK’s contribution will go into helping developing countries within the Caribbean, India Ocean, Pacific and Southeast Asia prevent the extinction of vital coral reefs by exploring techniques such as sewage treatment and the management of marine protected areas.
The Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, a multi-sector collaboration designed to drive investment into coastal natural capital by pioneering ground-breaking finance products that incentivise blended finance and private investment, hosted a roundtable yesterday that saw commitments towards the partnership’s target to secure over at least $20m USD from largely private finance.
The UK announced its intention to work together to help establish a new cross-Administration UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership to progress the evidence base on these habitats. Through this partnership, UK Administrations will work together to address key research questions related to blue carbon policy, including working to fill the evidence gaps that currently hinder inclusion of saltmarsh and seagrass habitats into the UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
The UK also announced that the Environment Agency have published pioneering toolkits to support the restoration and protection of blue carbon habitats to combat climate change. The three handbooks will focus on saltmarsh, seagrass and intertidal sediments and will be instrumental in informing the restoration of blue carbon habitats in the UK and beyond.
Sustainable production and consumption:
The Forest Agriculture Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue, co-chaired by the UK and Indonesia, was launched in February 2021 and brings together 28 of the largest consumer and producer governments of beef, soy, cocoa and palm oil. They have collaborated to ensure that these goods can be traded in a way which strengthens economic development, food security and improves livelihoods – while avoiding deforestation that causes climate change and biodiversity loss.
The FACT roadmap identifies actions on four critical and related areas of work which are central to achieving the FACT Dialogue’s overall objectives: trade and market development, smallholder support, traceability and transparency, and research, development and innovation. This roadmap actions puts countries on a path to ending deforestation whilst promoting sustainable trade and development.
The £500m UK funding package drawn from the £3bn International Climate Finance committed for nature and biodiversity will fund a second phase of the Investment in Forests & Sustainable Land Use (IFSLU) programme and will support the delivery of the FACT Roadmap.
Private Sector Action:
The CEOs of Co-Op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose have joined forces to sign WWF’s ‘Retailers Commitment for Nature’ in which they commit to cutting their environmental impact across climate, deforestation and nature and leading the way for the whole food retail sector to halve its overall impact on the natural world by 2030. The supermarkets have committed to take action across seven areas – climate change, deforestation, sustainable agriculture, sustainable diets, marine, waste and packaging.
