Tag: environment

UK cities lead on Global Climate Action Goals

Five years into the Paris Agreement – and in the lead-up to the 2021 UN climate negotiations in Glasgow – UK cities are taking bold climate action. Cities worldwide have much to learn from their UK peers’ successes and challenges, according to a new report by the 1000 CITIES Initiative, which aims to mobilise 1,000 cities to respond to the climate crisis. 

“Leading British cities are responding to the climate emergency by moving forward with effective and innovative climate policies, including ambitious targets, carbon budgets, and unique approaches to community engagement,” said Rebecca Foon, co-founder of the 1000 CITIES Initiative. “Other cities should take note of their approaches to cutting carbon emissions. Communities around the world need to accelerate climate action to hit the Paris Targets.”

UK cities have some of the world’s most ambitious climate targets, with many adopting goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030, according to the 1000 CITIES Climate Action Best Practices in UK Cities report.

In contrast, many leading North American cities have action plans that aim to reach the same goal by 2050. Others are planning for an 80% or smaller emissions reductions over the next three decades—an aspiration that we now know will not prevent dangerous levels of global warming.

“One of the key messages which Glasgow is issuing to the world as host city for COP26 is that it is cities which are leading on the delivery of national ambitions for a low-carbon and climate resilient future,” said Duncan Booker, Chief Resilience Officer and COP26 Stakeholder Manager at Glasgow City Council.

“It was our cities that generated the first industrial revolution and it will be our cities that lead a just transition to a greener, cleaner economy and society.”

One notable strategy that has enabled British cities to set ambitious targets is their approach to community engagement, according to the report, which is based on research on 12 UK local governments, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford and Somerset.

The research was carried out by Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG), a leading North American climate planning consultancy, and funded by the Rothschild Foundation, a UK-based charitable trust focused on the arts and humanities, the environment, and social welfare.

“Almost every city we studied had some sort of community coalition or engagement process that brought together charities, businesses, academic institutions, and other local groups. The communities collectively took ownership for climate action,” said Julia Meyer-MacLeod, Principal at SSG.

“In some cases, the community coalitions themselves were responsible for or even helped to write the local climate action plan,” added Meyer-MacLeod. “This not only gave Councils confidence to pass ambitious climate plans, but enabled cities to hit the ground running with climate actions that were pre-approved by local industry and community groups.”

For example, in 2019, Oxford became the first city to create a citizens assembly on climate change. The assembly, which was livestreamed on social media, brought together a group representative of the City, including members from all major political parties, climate and social scientists, business sector representatives, and community organisations.

These citizens identified a widespread desire for Oxford to be a leader in tackling the climate crisis, prompting the City to commit an additional £1,040,000 to its climate action efforts and laying the foundation for it to undertake the most ambitious smart grid trials in the UK.

Applying a “climate lens” to all Council decisions is another best practice highlighted in the report. More than half of the 12 cities featured in the report have implemented a climate lens. The City of Leeds, for example, requires all reports to Council to provide details on the climate implications of proposed decisions. In addition, a report is presented at each Council meeting outlining progress towards emissions reduction targets.

“Climate lenses help to ensure that councils stay accountable to their climate pledges,” said Meyer-MacLeod. “Leading cities have also taken their accountability measures to the next level by creating carbon budgets that set a cap on how much greenhouse gas they can emit – ever.”

More than half of the 12 local governments have implemented or are considering carbon budgets, which set annual, declining caps on GHG emissions, aligned with the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

“By implementing carbon budgets, cities like London, Manchester, and Oxford are doing their part to significantly limit the severity of extreme heat, sea level rise, and other effects of global warming,” said Meyer-MacLoed. “It is critical for cities around the world to follow their lead to limit catastrophic climate change.”

The complete 1000 CITIES Climate Action Best Practices in UK Cities report can be found here.

23 pieces of rubbish are dropped in the UK EVERY SECOND

New data shows 23 items of rubbish are dropped in the UK every second

Shocking data has revealed the true impact of the UK’s litter crisis, with cigarettes being the most irresponsibly disposed item.

Data found by Regatta and Keep Britain Tidy shows approximately 30% of litter in the UK is smoking-related, with a staggering 244 million cigarette butts discarded as litter.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, which exists to try to eliminate litter and end waste, two million pieces of rubbish are dropped every day across the country. This means that 23 items of rubbish are dropped every second on average.

“Due to the impact of the Coronavirus, more people than ever have gone out on walks and to explore their local green spaces. The amount of litter dropped by visitors saw local people become frustrated on social media as day-trippers left piles of rubbish lying around instead of taking it home with them,” says a spokesperson for Regatta.

However, this rubbish isn’t just ruining some of the best landscapes in the UK – it’s also having a serious impact on people and the environment.

Keep Britain Tidy recently revealed that street cleaning costs taxpayers more than £1 billion every year, showing the litter crisis isn’t just costing the planet anymore, but the public too.

Meanwhile, RSPCA announced recently they receive an average of 14 calls a day about wildlife harmed by litter, and the organisation suggests that the actual number of animals affected by rubbish is likely to be much higher.

“We all enjoy the great outdoors, and more recently with lockdown easing, people have been admiring all the UK has to offer more than ever.

“We hoped that comparing the litter crisis to one of the UK’s most loved and respected landscapes, we’d be able to encourage others to be mindful of littering and to get involved with a local clean-up event,” a spokesperson for Regatta continued.

Unmasking a looming litter emergency

Keep Scotland Beautiful: make Scotland ‘litter-ate’

Environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, has published a new report on Scotland’s local environmental quality highlighting an avalanche of evidence from its audits from the past two decades which points to a looming litter emergency – hidden in plain sight.

The charity is calling for eight urgent actions to make Scotland ‘litter-ate’ and is urging key stakeholders and communities to join efforts to change the way we behave to tackle unacceptable levels of litter, dog fouling, graffiti, weeds and detritus.

The report ‘Time for a new approach to tackling litter‘ highlights an accelerating decline in standards from 2013 to 2020 – with only 16% of audited sites being recorded as litter free last year compared to 31% in 2013, and dog fouling now found on 3% more streets that in 2013. In addition, results also showed a more marked decline in Scotland’s poorest neighbourhoods.

Local environmental quality standards in Scotland were already in decline before the pandemic, now nine months on, as we rely on good quality neighbourhoods for our health and wellbeing, our polling has highlighted that 30% of people believe the overall condition of their local neighbourhood deteriorated during lockdown.

Yet, despite the impact of this ‘lockdown effect’, where people have noticed an increase in the severity and prevalence of poor environmental quality, improved connections have been made with the environment and local neighbourhoods.   

And, positively, Keep Scotland Beautiful has come together with others to tackle the rise in flytipping, dog fouling and littering during a challenging year.  Building on this as we enter a new year is key to tackling the behaviours behind the looming litter emergency.

This is why the charity has outlined an eight-point cross sector agenda for change to tackle the complex interlinking problems leading to the decline.  This includes calls for an: education and behaviour change programme to create a Scotland that is truly litter-ate; a review of the failing model of enforcement; and further collaboration to bring together a reinvigorated Scottish network working together to jointly reverse the decline.


Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “The increasingly visible new litter type – the single use face mask – has become a symbol of our disregard for Scotland and our fellow citizens. 

“The simple truth is that we need to all start questioning our own habits – what we consume, what we throw away, and how we look after our local neighbourhoods – and we need to address the looming litter emergency head on by changing our own behaviours and working together with key partners, to build on the successes of this year.

“We must respect and look after the places that we love if we are to have any hope of solving the global climate and nature crises. Tackling the first can help the latter. We need you to join us to make our communities, businesses and individuals truly litter-ate.”

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Our relentless consumption of materials is Scotland’s biggest contributor to the climate crisis. The extraction, manufacture and transport of materials is a huge source of carbon emissions and something we could affect by reducing our demand for single-use items.

“It is particularly upsetting that people continue to pollute our streets, parks, streams and rivers, where they continue to cause damage for months and years to come. This needs to stop and we will continue to work with Keep Scotland Beautiful and other partners to find solutions to these issues.”

Keep Scotland Beautiful is committed to continuing efforts to support communities, local authorities, businesses, and national agencies to reverse the decline in environmental quality across Scotland – from rural to urban settings – but your support is needed.  

The time to act is now.  Scotland is beautiful, and we must all commit to do more to protect and enhance the places we care for.

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Campaign to ban Disposable Face Masks launched

The UK will consume 19.2 billion single non-recyclable face masks in 2021. Most of these will be sent to landfill, the weight equivalent of 5 Eiffel Towers. Some will end up in watercourses causing an environmental nightmare. A new campaign has been launched in an attempt to reduce this number.

“It’s really important to consider the wider impact of single-use face masks as they can’t easily be recycled and end up in landfill, in rivers and the sea – that’s why we are supporting a new petition on the Government to ban their sale to the general public”, explains Charlotte Green from commercial recycling company TradeWaste.co.uk

It should be noted that the petition is specific in that it is not asking the Government to completely ban their sale, they have an important role in medical situations, and where use is controlled, they can be recycled – although this is not always easy.

What 19.2 billion single use face masks in numbers looks like:

  • 52,602,739 a day
  • 1,578,082,191 a month

“We are promoting the petition to raise awareness of the environmental problems created by single use face masks, and also to offer an alternative to those worried about the harm cause to wildlife and the impact on the environment in the UK”, explains Green.

The Petition will be discussed in Parliament when it reaches 100,000 signatures. The aim of the campaign is to hit this number before the end of 2020 in an attempt to slow down the consumption of disposable masks, and encourage washable alternatives.

A link to the Petition is available here:

https://www.tradewaste.co.uk/petition-ban-single-use-face-masks/

“We know the consequences of their use, and funnily enough the alternative is actually cheaper – we just need to get the word out that single use face masks just get buried in the ground and that isn’t acceptable!”, concludes Charlotte Green from commercial recycling company TradeWaste.co.uk

Ditch your Disposable Face Mask and save £190 in 2021

  • A single use disposable face mask costs 18p
  • Over a year using 3 per day this is £197.10
  • A washable face mask costs £1.40 (Pack of 5 is £6.99)
  • If you can use 5 masks by washing them, then over a year this is a saving of £190.11

Edinburgh students in line to win global startup competition with Seagrass planting robot

Seagrass meadows are responsible for 11% of the World’s saltwater CO2 storage – critical to marine biodiversity. However, in the last century 92% of the UK’s seagrass has disappeared. 

In just five months during lockdown, Edinburgh University student Niall McGrath and a team of six others have developed a robot that crawls along the ocean floor re-seeding this vital plant and reducing the need for divers – who traditionally plant it. 

With a lifelong interest in environmental issues. Niall and his team are now the UK’s finalist in Red Bull Basement, which is taking place this weekend – a global event enabling the next generation of entrepreneurs to innovate with purpose. 

Selected from over 3,500 entrants, Niall’s team includes a mechanical engineer who has helped to create the invention, and their dream of sharing ROBOCEAN with David Attenbrough. 

If they win the event this weekend, they’ll have the chance to turn this business into a reality, which could save as much as 2 football fields of seagrass globally every hour.

https://youtu.be/xNN3T1RZVlo

Niall’s video pitch for the business can be seen above, and you can read more about ROBOCEAN here.

Climate Summit: A new surge in ambition and action

“Today we have seen what can be achieved if nations pull together and demonstrate real leadership and ambition in the fight to save our planet” – PM Boris Johnson

Global climate leaders have taken a major stride towards a resilient, net zero emissions future, presenting ambitious new commitments, urgent actions and concrete plans to confront the climate crisis.

Co-convened by the United Nations, the UK and France, in partnership with Italy and Chile, on the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, yesterday’s Climate Ambition Summit marked a major milestone on the road to the crucial UN climate conference COP26 in Glasgow next November.

75 leaders from all continents outlined new commitments at the Summit. This is a clear signal that the Paris Agreement – more than ever before the compass of international action – is working to steeply increase climate action and ambition.

The Summit showed clearly that climate change is at the top of the global agenda despite our shared challenges of COVID-19, and that there is mutual understanding that the science is clear. Climate destruction is accelerating, and there remains much more to do as a global community to keep the global temperature rise to 1.5C.

However Saturday’s Summit showed beyond doubt that climate action and ambition are on the rise. The announcements at or just before the Summit, together with those expected early next year, mean that countries representing around 65% of global CO2 emissions, and around 70% of the world’s economy, will have committed to reaching net zero emissions or carbon neutrality by early next year.

These commitments must now be backed up with concrete plans and actions, starting now, to achieve these goals, and today’s Summit delivered a surge in progress on this front.

Leading the way to Glasgow with strengthened national climate plans (NDCs)

  • The number of countries coming forward with strengthened national climate plans (NDCs) grew significantly today, with commitments covering 71 countries (all EU member states are included in the new EU NDC) on display. As well as the EU NDC, a further 27 of these new and enhanced NDCs were announced at or shortly before the Summit.
  • A growing number of countries (15) shifted gears from incremental to major increases. Countries committing to much stronger NDCs at the Summit, included Argentina, Barbados, Canada, Colombia, Iceland, and Peru.
  • The leadership and strengthened NDCs delivered at the Summit mean we are now on track to have more than 50 NDCs officially submitted by the end of 2020, boosting momentum and forging a pathway forward for others to follow in the months ahead.
  • Today’s announcements, together with recent commitments, send us into 2021 and the road to the Glasgow COP26 with much greater momentum. The Summit showcased leading examples of enhanced NDCs that can help encourage other countries to follow suit – particularly G20 countries.

Another stride towards a resilient, net-zero emissions future

  • Following today’s Summit, 24 countries have now announced new commitments, strategies or plans to reach net zero or carbon neutrality. Recent commitments from China, Japan, South Korea, the EU and today Argentina have established a clear benchmark for other G20 countries. A number of countries at the Summit set out how they are going even further, with ambitious dates to reach net zero emissions: Finland (2035); Austria (2040) and Sweden (2045).
  • Climate vulnerable countries are at the forefront of action and ambition. Barbados and the Maldives have set a highly ambitious target for achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, with the right support. Fiji, Malawi, Nauru and Nepal indicated that they are aiming for the 2050 goal.
  • At the Summit, adaptation and resilience moved to centre stage. 20 countries indicated new or forthcoming commitments to protect people and nature from climate impacts. Countries, such as Ethiopia, said they were taking a whole-of-economy approach that protects people and nature, while Suriname said it is stepping up its implementation of its National Adaptation Plan. Developed countries, including the UK, Portugal and Spain, announced they were stepping up their adaptation efforts. A major new global campaign – the Race to Resilience – was also launched today, setting a goal of safeguarding 4 billion people vulnerable to climate risks by 2030 (more details below).

Speeding up the shift from grey to green economies

  • Several countries set out concrete policies to implement their economy-wide targets at the Summit. Pakistan announced no new coal plants, while Israel said it was joining the growing list of countries stepping away from coal. 15 countries provided details on how they will speed up their transitions to renewable energy by 2030, including Barbados (aiming for fossil-fuel free), Vanuatu (100% renewables), and Slovakia (decarbonised power). Denmark announced it will end oil and gas exploration. India announced a new target of 450GW installed capacity of renewable energy by 2030. China committed to increasing the share of non-fossil fuel in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030.
  • In line with this momentum, the UK, France and Sweden set out plans to end international financial support for fossil fuels, while Canada announced it will ramp up its price on carbon to C$170 per tonne by 2030.

Working with nature, not against it

  • The Summit showed dedication to protecting nature with 12 leaders highlighting their existing plans to increase the use of nature-based solutions to combat climate change. As we approach the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2021, the Summit highlighted the need for more integrated solutions to confront both the climate and biodiversity crises, and speeding up progress right across the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • 12 donor countries highlighted their commitments to support developing countries, including just under €500m in additional investment from Germany, an additional €1bn per year from France from its previous target, as well as a World Bank commitment to ensure that 35% of their portfolio includes climate co-benefits, and EIB commitment to ensure that 50% includes climate co-benefits, as well as 100% alignment of EIB’s activities on Paris agreement.
  • However, the Summit also demonstrated there is much more to do to ensure that no one is left behind. With COVID-19 impacting international climate finance flows this year, 2021 will be critical to show that finance is flowing and to meet and surpass the $100bn goal.

From momentum to a truly global movement: cities, business and financiers stepping up ambition at scale

  • Race to Resilience (Global) – a campaign launched today which brings together initiatives involving mayors, community leaders, businesses and insurance companies, among others, who commit to building resilience actions to safeguard by 2030 the lives and livelihoods of 4 billion people from groups and communities vulnerable to climate risks. Examples of actions and initiatives include the following:
    • Zurich Insurance (Switzerland) announced that the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance will triple funding by 2025 and expand its reach from 11 to 21 countries.
    • Mayor of Freetown (Sierra Leone) committed to planting 1 million trees between 2020 and 2021.
  • Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (Global) – representing US$9 trillion of assets under management has seen each of the 30 founding members unequivocally commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This includes setting individual portfolio targets, as well as engaging companies in each member’s portfolio to set decarbonization goals in line with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C.
  • C40 Cities (Global) – reinforced the commitment and action by cities to implement the Paris agreement by announcing the launch of the Cities Race to Zero campaign and that 70 cities have joined in the first month.
  • Godrej & Boyce (India)—a manufacturing company, announced commitments to key global initiatives including the Business Ambition for 1.5C, setting science-based targets, and advancing energy efficiency, through the EP100 initiative for energy-smart companies, in line with their overall ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
  • International Airlines Group (Spain/UK) — are the first airline group worldwide to commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The Oneworld Alliance of 13 airlines representing 20% of global aviation, is investing US$400m in sustainable aviation fuels (over the next 20 years) to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
  • Dalmia Cement (India) – 40 of the world’s leading producers of cement as part of the Global Concrete and Cement Association have issued a industry commitment to deliver carbon-neutral concrete by 2050. The Indian cement company has gone further and established a roadmap to become carbon negative by 2040 and is working globally to meet its 100% renewable energy objectives.
  • Movida-Rent-a-Car (Brazil) – presented the actions that will underpin their pledge of net-zero emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon positive by 2040. Movida is reducing emissions across its operations, offsetting the carbon footprint of the company and its customers by planting trees, as well as adapting to impacts of climate change and undertaking risk analysis using methodologies of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
  • Apple (United States) – pledged carbon neutrality for its supply chain and products by 2030 and announced new progress that 95 of its suppliers have committed to moving to 100% renewable energy.
  • Artistic Milliners (Pakistan) – a textile company announced joining the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and shared their actions on the circular economy to reduce their carbon footprint and provide zero emissions energy to thousands of homes.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: The Summit has now sent strong signals that more countries and more businesses are ready to take the bold climate action on which our future security and prosperity depend.

“Today was an important step forward, but it’s not yet enough. Let’s not forget that we are still on track to an increase of temperature of 3 degrees at least in the end of the century, which would be catastrophic.

“The recovery from COVID-19 presents an opportunity to set our economies and societies on a green path in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“As we look ahead, the central objective of the United Nations for 2021 is to build a truly Global Coalition for Carbon Neutrality.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Today we have seen what can be achieved if nations pull together and demonstrate real leadership and ambition in the fight to save our planet.

“The UK has led the way with a commitment to cut emissions by at least 68 percent by 2030 and to end support for the fossil fuel sector overseas as soon as possible, and it’s fantastic to see new pledges from around the world that put us on the path to success ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.

“There is no doubt that we are coming to the end of a dark and difficult year, but scientific innovation has proved to be our salvation as the vaccine is rolled out. We must use that same ingenuity and spirit of collective endeavour to tackle the climate crisis, create the jobs of the future and build back better.”

President Macron said: “Despite the global pandemic and one of the worst economic crises of our time, we have shown today that climate action remains at the top of the international agenda.

“The crisis gives us the opportunity to accelerate our ecological transition and I welcome the announcements made today by more than 70 heads of State and government. This summit has confirmed that the Paris agreement struck under the French COP Presidency five years ago remains, more than ever, the compass of international climate action.

“The EU is a leader in this global fight, with our new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 – which is a fundamental milestone on the way to carbon neutrality.

“The EU and France will continue to promote ambitious levels of climate finance. We look forward to working with the United Nations, the UK COP Presidency and all parties to the Paris Agreement to keep raising ambition, and deliver on it through concrete action, in the year ahead.”

Zero Waste Scotland urges: Keep the festive joy and trim the waste

88% of Edinburgh residents agree we all have a ‘responsibility to cut down on waste at Christmas’ 

A survey for Zero Waste Scotland has revealed that more than four out of five people in Edinburgh and Lothian (88%) agree we all have a responsibility to cut down on waste over Christmas. 

The poll, carried out by Survation¹, also found 68% of respondents in the region plan on minimising their waste in comparison with other years, while nearly three in five (59%) were concerned about the environmental impacts of buying new items over the festive period. 

With Christmas so often associated with excess and many preparing for an unusual festive period filled with firsts, Zero Waste Scotland has launched its #ChristmasTrimmings campaign to help Scots with practical ideas and tips on small changes to cut their carbon footprint and have a more sustainable season.  

Asking for a second-hand gift is just one of the ways Scots could turn the tables on a wasteful Christmas and keep the joy of the festive season. 

In answer to the question, ‘Would you consider buying a second-hand gift for a friend or family member this year?’, 38% of Lothian residents surveyed said ‘Yes’, with 47% answering ‘No’. Previous research has indicated four fifths of Scots would be happy to receive a pre-loved gift², so the opportunity is there to ask for second-hand. 

Jenny Fraser, consumer campaigns manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “There are many small steps we can take in the festive period that can cut down on waste and carbon emissions. It is wonderful that such a high percentage of people agree that we need to cut down on waste and that many recognise the environmental implication of buying new.  

“Four fifths of our carbon emissions as a country are linked to the products we consume, through the production, manufacture and transport of materials. We need to reduce this significantly if we are going to address the climate crisis. 

“Buying second hand avoids the emissions associated in creating the equivalent items as new. Whilst almost half of people in Scotland say they wouldn’t consider purchasing a pre-loved gift, there are very good environmental reasons for doing so and previous research shows four out of five Scots would be happy to receive such a gift.”  

Our top #ChristmasTrimmings tips: 

Ask for a second-hand gift 

Research from Zero Waste Scotland shows most Scots would be happy to receive a pre-loved gift – but many would be unlikely to buy one for someone else². Why not turn that around this year by asking gift-givers (and Santa) to shop second-hand – either in person where Scottish Government coronavirus guidance allows or on online auction sites likes Gumtree and eBay?  

Give a gift that keeps on giving 

Subscriptions, donations and sponsorship are a great way to share the love without the ‘stuff’ – and support a good cause. Why not invest in a streaming platform like Netflix for the movie buff in your life, subscribe to a comic or magazine, sponsor an animal, or donate to a charity close to a loved one’s heart? 

Make your own wrapping paper 

With Scots using upwards of 19,000 miles of wrapping paper in previous years, a DIY effort could be a fun way to cut your carbon footprint down to size. Why not use kids’ drawings to wrap gifts, or if you have received a delivery recently jazz up the brown paper it was stuffed with? Just remember to avoid glitter and foil as paper mixed with these can’t be recycled.  

Have a ‘Christmas dinner conference’ 

We all know how hard it can be to please everyone, so with smaller gatherings this year it’s the perfect time to get everyone involved in planning the Christmas shopping list. Whether you’re hosting an extended household (following Scottish Government coronavirus guidance) or just the immediate family, why not start a conversation about what you’ll eat come Christmas? Planning ahead will help you buy only what you need and stop good food going to waste. 

Zero Waste Scotland is encouraging Scots to start a new, sustainable Christmas tradition that keeps the joy of Christmas without the waste, and to share it on social media using the hashtag #ChristmasTrimmings. 

For more information or suggestions on ways to reduce your waste visit zws.scot/christmastrimmings 

Urgent action needed to prevent air pollution rising as Covid restrictions end

  • Air pollution fell in the Spring but now exceeds pre-pandemic levels in 80% of places despite continued lockdown restrictions.
  • Councils must not delay measures to prevent air quality significantly worsening next year.
  • Public transport, cycling and walking should be encouraged over car usage.

Toxic air is set to rise significantly as lockdown restrictions end warns Centre for Cities as it urges councils to press ahead with their stalled pollution reduction plans.

The new analysis shows that, while the spring lockdown reduced NO2 levels by 38% on average across 49 cities and large towns, they rose again in the second half of the year as activity increased.

As a result, NO2 levels have now hit or exceeded pre-pandemic levels in around 80% of places studied during the second half of 2020. This is despite 98% of the country remaining under significant lockdown restrictions – raising concerns that air quality will significantly worsen once life returns to normal next year.

In some cities such as Barnsley, Bournemouth and Portsmouth, NO2 levels in September were already even higher than they were before the spring lockdown.

As the risk from Covid-19 reduces and life returns to normal next year, policy makers must urgently revisit stalled pre-pandemic plans to reduce air pollution – which has been linked to 40,000 UK deaths per year.     

Since March many councils – including Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield – have postponed their pollution reduction plans. This new data makes the case for them look again at implementing air pollution reduction measures.

Data shows that increased post-pandemic home working will not keep air pollution down. It is estimated that more than half of people in London worked from home at the peak of the pandemic, yet NO2 levels in the capital have returned to near pre-March levels. This is because commuting is not biggest cause of pollution and remote workers are more likely to use their car for leisure purposes.

Private vehicle usage is the main generator of toxic air: pollution has increased since May in line with the return of private cars to the road. Meanwhile, public transport usage has remained low. Because of this, mayors and council leaders must press ahead with plans to reduce private vehicle-related emissions.

They should:

  • Discourage car usage by introducing clean air zones that charge drivers
  • Encourage more public transport usage through improvements to bus, rail and tram systems
  • Improve cycling and walking infrastructure to encourage more active forms of travel

Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive Andrew Carter said: “Toxic air has contributed to the deaths of thousands of Covid-19 victims this year and, even after the pandemic ends, will remain a big threat to health – particularly for those living in urban areas.

“City leaders can reduce threat of air pollution, but it will take political will. Discouraging car usage will be unpopular in the short-term but, if coupled with the necessary improvements to public transport, the long-term benefits to public health and the economy will be huge and our cities will become better places to live. Now is not the time for politicians to delay on this.”

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air’s Data Lead Hubert Thieriot said: “With the Covid-19 pandemic came immense suffering both on sanitary and social fronts. Incidentally but importantly, it also reminded citizens that air pollution is not a given, and that bold actions on transportation could significantly improve people’s health and quality of life.

“The role of transportation in UK cities’ air pollution has become apparent to everyone during the COVID-related lockdowns. That shared awareness offers policy makers an historical chance to implement bold transportation policies, as many other cities overseas have shown.”

How-have-the-Covid-pandemic-and-lockdown-affected-air-quality-in-citiesDownload

Secret Santa at Leith Collective!

SECRET Santa – a stalwart of the festive workplace – is sadly something else that we’ve had to put aside in these changed times. How will we cope without receiving a plastic doo-dah from (maybe) Barry in Sales or something that looks a bit rude from (maybe) Margaret in Purchasing?

Well, worry no more – The Leith Collective is helping to maintain the mystery and enigma that is Secret Santa AND ensuring it’s plastic free and one-of-a-kind at the same time as managing the whole process (on Santa’s behalf)!

Continuing with its mission to rid the world (starting with Edinburgh) of single-use plastic, The Leith Collective works with over 150 local artists, crafters and makers to deliver the most stunning pieces – all recycled, upcycled or created plastic-free.

Simply choose how much you want to spend on your Secret Santa gift, provide a bit more info about the recipient and Catherine, gift curator at The Leith Collective and officially approved by Santa himself, will select the perfect Secret Santa gift for your friend and /or colleague. Once we’ve chosen, wrapped and stored the gift, we’ll send an email to the recipient to tell them to come and collect their pressie!

The air of mystery is maintained, and no plastic cheapness needs to be wrapped up for George in Packing!

Secret Santa is ready at: https://www.theleithcollective.co.uk/secret-santa

Survey highlights Edinburgh residents’ concerns over single-use plastics

YouGov poll shows impact on marine environment and litter as top concerns

A survey has revealed the concern Edinburgh residents have around single-use plastic items and packaging – and more than three quarters of people (77%) living in Edinburgh and Lothian¹ would support introducing charges, similar to the carrier bag charge, to cut down their use.

The poll for Zero Waste Scotland highlights that reducing litter was cited by 89% of those backing an additional charge as the reason for their support. This was followed by reducing harm to the marine environment (88%) and to help stop/reduce climate change (82%).

Other views included conserving natural resources (80%) and to protect biodiversity (76%).

The survey, carried out by YouGov, comes as the Scottish Government consults on it’s latest steps to reduce the use of single-use items and introduce market restrictions on items most commonly found on beaches in Europe, including plastic cutlery and plastic straws.

Iain Gulland, Zero Waste Scotland chief executive, said: “It is clear from these results that people are worried about the impact single-use plastic items have on our environment.

“These items can last for decades and the damage they can cause to wildlife is shocking. We have to find ways to cut down the stream of items we are sending into what should be pristine habitats and the consultation offers a valuable way for people to contribute to the discussion around market restrictions.”

Views are being sought on the introduction of new legislation to restrict the supply of single-use plastic plates, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, expanded polystyrene food and drink containers, beverage stirrers, plastic balloon sticks and products made from oxo-degradable plastics. Reusable alternatives would continue to be widely available.

These are the most common items found on European beaches and were identified in the EU Single Plastics Directive as contributing the majority share of litter found in the marine environment. The Marine Conservation Society’s 2020 Great British Beach Clean reported an average over 100m of beach surveyed in Scotland 297.9 items of litter (of which 183.6 were plastic items). Six of the top 10 items found are recognised under the EU Single use plastic directive.

Catherine Gemmell, Scotland conservation officer for the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Our volunteers have been on the frontline dealing with single-use plastic and other litter washing up on beaches around Scotland for over two decades. We have to stop single-use plastic at its source.

“It’s encouraging to see so many people in this survey link the single-use plastic issue to the negative impact it has on Scottish seas and wildlife. Now, we’re asking them to go one step further and respond to the Scottish Government consultation and add their support for banning several single-use plastic items.

“We hope the Scottish Government will take swift action and bring in further measures to move Scotland towards a circular economy where nothing is wasted or thrown away, negatively impacting our seas and beaches.”

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Single-use plastic items are extremely damaging to our environment, blighting our landscapes as litter, polluting our rivers and seas, and contributing to higher greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our Upstream Battle campaign has shown that plastic, much of it single-use, makes up almost half of all litter in rivers and streams in the Clyde Valley, which ultimately ends up in our seas.

“So, we are very pleased to see the Scottish Government consulting on banning a range of single-use plastic items – we wholeheartedly support the proposals in the consultation paper.

“We are also encouraged that Scottish Government are asking, as part of the consultation, if there are other single-use items which should be banned and we will be pushing for this to include plastic cigarette filters and wet wipes containing plastic.”

According to Scottish Government figures around four fifths (80%) of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from all the goods, materials and services that we produce, use and often throw out after minimal use².

Part of the consultation process is to understand how access can be maintained for people who require items that perform a vital function that cannot be easily replaced. For example, straws may be required for medical use or to support independent living.

The Single Use Plastic Directive Consultation closes on 4 January 2021.

For more details visit – https://consult.gov.scot/zero-waste-delivery/introducing-market-restrictions-on-single-use-plas/