Tag: fossil fuels

Edinburgh climate justice campaigners join global action to demand an end to fossil fuels

‘FAST, FAIR & FOREVER’

Climate justice campaigners across Scotland have today marked the start of a ‘Global Week of Action for Climate Finance and a Fossil Free Future’, by staging demonstrations in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling. The campaigners are calling on local councillors and politicians to end fossil fuels in a way that is ‘Fast, Fair & Forever’.

In Edinburgh, campaigners from groups including Global Justice Now Scotland and Extinction Rebellion held a banner demonstration and stall to call on the UK and Scottish Governments to support the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and to say no to new fossil fuel projects such as the proposed new gas power station in Peterhead.

Jane Herbstritt from Global Justice Now said: “‘We urgently need a global plan for a fast and fair phase out of oil, gas and coal production. And this plan needs to be decided on and led by governments – not the fossil fuel industry.

“That’s why today we are in Edinburgh today calling on First Minister John Swinney to endorse the proposal for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“The global campaign for this ground-breaking treaty proposal is supported by some of the most climate vulnerable countries including Vanuatu in the Pacific Islands, Antigua and Barbuda in the West Indies and Colombia in South America. 

“Scotland is a country with a long history of disproportionately contributing climate wrecking emissions from burning fossil fuels – but with incredible renewable energy resources now. This puts us in the best position going forward to encourage a planned global phase out of fossil fuels by championing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

In Glasgow, campaigners held a banner demonstration in George Square to call on Glasgow City Council and the Strathclyde Pension Fund to stop investing over £433 million in some of the world’s biggest fossil fuel polluters, including BP, Shell and French oil giant, TotalEnergies.

Total is one of the companies responsible for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline which, if completed, could produce more than 379 million tonnes of climate-heating pollution.

Over the next week (13 – 20 September), activists in Scotland will join hundreds of thousands of people mobilising in more than 200 protest events, spanning over 50 countries in all continents. 

The Global Week of Action comes as world leaders embark on a series of crucial international climate meetings including the UN General Assembly, the UN Summit of the Future, the Global Renewables Summit and COP29 in Azerbaijan.

The concerted action will raise the pressure on governments to urgently implement a fast, fair and funded phase out of fossil fuels and to commit to paying adequate climate finance for the damage that has already been caused.  

Sally Clark, Divestment Campaigner with Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “With record temperatures and extreme weather around the world, it’s never been more urgent for our councils and the Government to stop funding fossil fuel companies like BP, Shell and TotalEnergies that are driving climate breakdown and injustice around the world. 

“For the sake of our planet, it’s vital for our politicians to divest from fossil fuels and say no to climate-wrecking projects like the Rosebank oil field and the proposed new gas power station in Peterhead. 

“By instead investing in genuine climate solutions like social housing and wind and solar power, we can protect communities and ensure a liveable future for everyone.”

Climate campaigners are warning the UK Government that to be compliant with the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the transition out of oil, gas and coal must be done at a pace and scale required to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5℃. 

However, many Global North countries including the UK continue their fossil fuel expansion and provide billions in fossil fuel subsidies, and even prop up fossil fuel expansion in the Global South with public and private investments. 
 
There will be actions across the UK throughout the week, led by groups including the Climate Justice Coalition, War on Want, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Global Justice Now Scotland, Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Stop EACOP Edinburgh, Fossil Free London, Fossil Free Parliament, Biofuelwatch and others. 

Tyrone Scott, Senior Movement Building and Activism Officer at War on Want said: “The UK government’s reliance on oil and gas is worsening climate breakdown with the UK already the second largest oil and gas producer in Europe whilst continuing to expand fossil fuel operations.

“Now, with a new government in place, we need to raise pressure to ensure they make adequate commitments to tackle the climate crisis. This new government might be better at saying some of the right words when it comes to climate, but their actions must speak louder.

“We’re taking action over the next week to stand in solidarity with our global movements and partners who are facing the worst effects of climate breakdown.”

Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network International, said:  “We demand action, not empty words. Rich nations call for a transition away from fossil fuels but do little to reduce their own emissions, and instead we are seeing their continued oil, gas and coal expansion.

“This double standard perpetuates the colonial legacy, and disproportionately devastates communities in the Global South. Africa, Asia, and Latin America & the Caribbean are paying the price with lost lives, destroyed infrastructure, and ruined livelihoods. Rich nations must lead and end the expansion of fossil fuels.”

Protesters call for action on one year anniversary of Edinburgh councillors voting for divestment

Campaigners staged a protest outside Edinburgh City Chambers on Friday (24 November) to call on the Lothian Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels. The protest marked one year since Edinburgh City Council voted in favour of divestment, but the fund has still not enacted the request.

Lothian Pension Fund has at least £350 million invested in the fossil fuel industry, according to new analysis by Platform and Friends of the Earth Scotland. This is a significant increase from the £229 million investment it held when the research was last conducted in October 2021.

Lothian Pension Fund is the second biggest fossil fuel investor of all the council pension funds in Scotland. It invests in some of the world’s biggest climate polluters, including Exxon Mobil, Shell, Equinor, TotalEnergies and BP.

With virtually all oil and gas companies set to expand their operations, campaigners are calling on the Lothian Pension Fund to listen to councillors and stop funding fossil fuels.

The protest highlighted the role French oil giant TotalEnergies – that Lothian Pensions have investments worth £19 million in – is playing in worsening the climate crisis and threatening human rights.

TotalEnergies is currently developing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, stretching 1444 km across Uganda and Tanzania. Building this pipeline is displacing communities and destroying livelihoods in Africa in order to pump oil out of the continent to be consumed by people living in the global north.

John Hardy from Divest Lothian said: “It’s extremely disappointing that as the climate crisis worsens, the Lothian Pension Fund has failed to follow the democratic will of the council to divest from the fossil fuel companies that are driving climate breakdown.

“In particular, their investments in TotalEnergies and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline harms our climate and puts local communities and important ecosystems at risk.

“The Lothian Pension Fund needs to listen to the people of Edinburgh and the Lothians and divest from all fossil fuel companies immediately. Our future is at stake, and we cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Sophie Burgess from Global Justice Edinburgh Youth Collective said: “We need to Stop EACOP for my future, the future of people in Uganda and Tanzania and the future of people globally.

“We cannot allow pensions to continue to fund fossil fuel giants like TotalEnergy, who are continuing to threaten all our futures with devastating projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.”

The Lothian Pension Fund administers the pension funds of almost 90,000 members from the four councils in the Lothians and 59 other employers, including Scottish Water, Edinburgh Napier University, VisitScotland and Heriot-Watt University.

Rosebank APPROVED

The North Sea Transition Authority has today granted development and production consent for the Rosebank field, north-west of Shetland.

The consent has been given by the oil and gas regulator to owners Equinor and Ithaca Energy, following the acceptance of the Environmental Statement.

An NSTA spokesperson said: “We have today approved the Rosebank Field Development Plan which allows the owners to proceed with their project.

“The FDP is awarded in accordance with our published guidance and taking net zero considerations into account throughout the project’s lifecycle.”

GREEN MP Caroline Lucas described the announcement as “the greatest act of environmental vandalism in my lifetime, causing emissions equal to 28 lowest income countries, busting #climate targets & doing nothing for energy security since vast majority is for export” #climatecriminals

Labour’s Environment spokesperson, Shadow Climate and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Here’s what it means. Rosebank: £3.75bn of taxpayer subsidy which could have been invested in renewables. 80% of oil exported, not a penny off bills, equivalent to half all UK emissions for a year.

“Colossal waste of taxpayer money and climate vandalism.” However Ed’s boss Sir Keir Starmer has already said that a future Labour government will NOT reverse the decision.

More responses from environmental organisations to follow

Edinburgh march joins global calls for fast and fair transition away from fossil fuels

Climate campaigners will march through Edinburgh today (16 /9/ 23) to demand the UK and Scottish Governments develop a plan for a fair and fast transition away from fossil fuels. 

The protestors are demanding action to phase out oil and gas in the UK including a halt to controversial projects like the Rosebank oil field and a new gas-fired power station in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. 

Organisers say there must be a fair and fast transition for the workers and the communities most affected by the move away from fossil fuels and these people should be at the heart of planning this transition to ensure it meets their needs.  

The march is one of 400 actions taking place around the world with millions of people involved this weekend ahead of a UN Climate Ambition Summit of world leaders in New York next week.

Scientists, energy experts and climate campaigners agree that there must be no new investment in oil, gas or coal anywhere if the world is to limit further climate breakdown. Despite this the UK Government wants to “max out” new North Sea oil and gas and grant over 100 new licences for further oil and gas exploration. 

The march is organised by a coalition of groups including Edinburgh Climate Coalition, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Fridays for Future, Climate Justice Coalition, War on Want, Extinction Rebellion Edinburgh, Scot.E3, Greenpeace Edinburgh and Youth in Resistance. 

Steve Gray, a delegate of Aberdeen Trades Union Council who will speak at the rally after the march said: “Aberdeen Trades Union Council welcomes the opportunity to march in solidarity with the climate justice movement and thanks everyone for their support for a just transition for workers employed by the fossil fuel industries.

“The tragic deaths caused by the Stonehaven trail derailment during a storm showed the devastating impacts of a changing climate. Aberdeen Trades Union Council, alongside our STUC allies, recognise that we cannot allow these hazards to multiply and threaten our communities.

“All our gains from free school education to votes for working people and equal pay for women have been won through collective struggles. We can once again win this shared fight and secure decent jobs for people building climate resilient communities in Scotland and around the world.”

Lucia Harrington, Lead Organiser of Fuel Poverty Action who campaign for insulated homes and clean, affordable energy for all commented: “Our households’ resources, and the earth’s resources, are being exploited by the profiteering fossil fuel industry, and this is driving fuel poverty and climate disaster.

“

One of the leading causes of the cost of living crisis was that fossil fuel powered energy companies were allowed to make record profits at the expense of millions of people who are forced to go without heating, hot water and electricity.

“We need a just transition now to an energy system that works for people and the planet. Many workers in the fossil fuel industry want to be part of this transition without losing their jobs and falling into fuel poverty.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s oil and gas campaigner Freya Aitchison said: “Millions of people will be in the streets around the world because politicians are failing to deliver the fast and fair transition away from the fossil fuels that are fuelling climate breakdown.

“

The near daily climate disasters we are witnessing from Libya, to Greece to China are driven by the burning of fossil fuels yet politicians are still cheerleading for fossil fuel companies. Rishi Sunak’s plan to ‘max out’ oil and gas will maximise climate destruction while the Scottish Government is considering approving a new gas plant at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire which will lock us into burning fossil fuels for decades to come.”  

“Marchers in Edinburgh are calling for a properly planned transition away from oil and gas which is led by the workers and communities most affected. A credible plan to switch to renewables can deliver huge benefits to people such as more affordable energy, secure green jobs, warm homes and a safe climate.”

Book Festival Baillie Gifford concerns: Can We Talk?

DIRECTOR ISSUES APPEAL TO AUTHORS

YESTERDAY (Friday 11 August 2023) Edinburgh International Book Festival received an open letter from over 50 authors querying their sponsorship by Baillie Gifford.

Below is a response from the Book Festival: 

Nick Barley, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: 

“ Dear authors,

Thank you for your letter about the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s sponsorship by Baillie Gifford.

Writers are the lifeblood of this festival. We exist to offer you and your readers the chance of open discussion about the things that matter to you.

We fully acknowledge your concerns about the devastating impact of fossil fuel exploitation on the climate: as individuals and as a charity we firmly agree. 

For these reasons we promise to think about your letter carefully. The last thing we want is to let anyone give the impression we are on opposite sides.

Just as we promise to listen carefully to you, we ask that you allow us some time to consider your comments. We’d also like to share with you the reasons why we have accepted this sponsorship agreement. 

Like all arts organisations in the UK, we wouldn’t have enough funds to operate without private sponsorship. We looked very closely at the work of Baillie Gifford and it seems to us that they are in fact investing in companies that are seeking to resolve the crisis.

Those companies include Ørsted, the Danish windfarm specialist. Ørsted was mandated by the Danish government to keep two coal-fired power stations open until 2024 as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and that is the only reason why a small percentage of their income still comes from fossil fuels.

I hope you will talk with me and my colleagues, and discuss the complexities of this issue with us. Surely the best place for such conversations is at Book Festivals like ours. I invite you to the festival because I believe in the power of your words.

I am keen to learn from you about this; to hear your expertise; to understand your perspective. I promise to consider what you say carefully, and keep an open mind about how to proceed.

For that reason I’m proposing that we talk at the festival – with each other and with audience members who share the same concerns. Let’s talk in the Authors’ Yurt, in the bookshop, in the cafe and in the festival courtyard. Let’s talk in our theatres too: I’d like to find a time when we can invite representatives from across the spectrum of opinion to come on stage and have a discussion which will be open to the public. We’ll find a date when that’s possible and you’d be more than welcome to join us.

Can we talk?”

Edinburgh International Book Festival opens this morning

Fossil fuel lobbyists pushing hydrogen on politicians

Climate campaigners have revealed the huge lobbying operation by fossil fuel interests pushing expensive and inefficient hydrogen technology onto Scottish Government and MSPs.

Campaigners unearthed over 30 meetings with oil and gas companies where hydrogen was discussed, along with an additional 70 meetings with companies who stood to benefit from the roll out of hydrogen technology in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has pledged over £100 million to this industry and has refused to rule out using hydrogen from fossil fuels. Ministers even refer to fossil fuel derived hydrogen as ‘low carbon’ despite the methane leakage during gas production and the extra energy required to run the partial carbon capture process upon which it relies.

The revelations show a huge push by fossil fuel giants like BP and Shell – who met MSPs 17 and 9 times respectively – demonstrating how hard the industry is pressing politicians to claim hydrogen as a climate solution despite mounting evidence that the technology is too expensive and inefficient.

Evidence shows that using hydrogen for heating our homes is more expensive and less efficient than direct electrification through technologies like heat pumps. Hydrogen is not suitable for most transport needs due to cost and how far the technology is behind electrification.

KEY LOBBYING INCIDENTS

On the same day (10/11/21) during COP26 as the Scottish Government published their draft Hydrogen Action Plan it organised a lavish dinner for the Hydrogen industry with 52 company lobbyists at Edinburgh Castle that FOIs reveal cost the public purse £11,000. It was attended by BP, INEOS, Shell, Wood Group and Offshore Energies UK. It was hosted by Business Minister Ivan McKee and attended by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Michael Matheson travelled to Rotterdam in May 2022 to speak at the World Hydrogen Summit which marketed itself as ‘the global platform where hydrogen deals get done.’

The two day conference had host partners BP and Shell and “diamond sponsorship” from Saudi oil company Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

Shell met with then Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse in January 2021, where the official record states Shell specifically ’emphasized the importance of both blue and green hydrogen.’

Friends of the Earth Scotland climate campaigner Alex Lee commented: “Hydrogen lobbyists have made a targeted push trying to persuade the Scottish Government to ignore the mounting evidence about the technology’s inefficiency and huge costs.

“By incorrectly classifying hydrogen from fossil fuels as ‘low carbon’, Scottish Ministers are doing the greenwashing job for fossil fuel companies. Big polluters like Shell and BP are selling hydrogen hard because it allows them to keep on drilling for fossil fuels and keep the public locked into an energy system using oil and gas for decades to come.

“The Scottish Government has been taken in by the marketing hype around hydrogen, promising over £100 million of public money to the industry and repeating outlandish jobs creation claims.

“Ministers must end their support for hydrogen from fossil fuels and instead use renewable power directly in heating and transport rather than wasting time and energy by converting it to hydrogen first.

“If the Scottish Government want to tackle the climate crisis and deliver a just transition away from oil and gas, it must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and ban them from lobbying.”

OIL: ‘It’s Time to Walk the Walk’

CLIMATE GROUPS CALL ON SCOT GOVT TO SURPASS UK LABOUR PHASE OUT PLANS

Climate campaigners have written to the First Minister Yousaf to call on the Scottish Government to ‘not only match but go further’ than the commitment of UK Labour to block future oil and gas development. It says the transition away from fossil fuels is an opportunity for the “political leadership that is needed to build a fairer and more equal Scotland.”

The letter comes ahead of Scottish Parliament debate (7/6/23) on fossil fuels and urges the Scottish Government to prioritise planning and action that delivers a just transition away from fossil fuels for workers and communities currently employed by this industry.

The letter, signed by 5 coalitions and 34 climate, fuel poverty and international justice groups from RSPB to Christian Aid to Extinction Rebellion Scotland, states how countless credible institutions are clear about the incompatibility of new oil and gas fields with a safe climate future.

The call comes amidst concerns that Humza Yousaf’s Government is going backwards on oil and gas after statements about future North Sea activity from Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan and criticism of the Labour position by Energy Minister Gillian Martin.

The letter also says that “workers in the oil and gas industry already have a plan for a just transition, they just need political support to make it happen” and that to ensure secure affordable energy Scottish Ministers must use their powers to “accelerate well-planned domestic renewable energy production and improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.”

The chair of the UK Climate Change Committee Lord Deben has also spoken out in support of the Labour position saying that it “should be the common view of all parties.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Every new barrel of oil worsens the climate crisis and takes us further away from a fair and fast transition to renewable energy.

“The Scottish Government must be willing to stand up to oil companies and commit to ending oil and gas extraction as an essential part of planning for a just transition for workers and communities.

“Oil and gas workers are ready to lead a rapid and fair transition away from fossil fuels, and have a blueprint to create an energy industry that protects workers, communities and the climate.

“Ministers must set an end date for oil and gas this decade to  provide certainty for the sector, enable workforce planning and make it clear that investing in renewables is the only choice for our energy future.”

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland highlighted how support for oil and gas expansion will “undermine Scotland’s global climate leadership” commenting: “It’s estimated that one person will die of hunger every 28 seconds across East Africa this month because of a drought that would not have happened without climate change.

“A just transition for those working in the oil and gas industry in the UK is essential, but this transition must also be much faster to avert further devastating global impacts. That starts with blocking all new oil and gas extraction. No ifs, no buts. The Scottish Government’s leadership on global climate justice will only remain credible if it strongly opposes the UK Government granting any new licences for climate-wrecking fossil fuels.”

Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: “The shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewables is essential if we are to tackle the intertwined nature and climate crisis. Continuing to extract and burn oil and gas makes no sense if we want to stop climate change causing chaos for ourselves and the other living creatures that human activities have already harmed.

“With robust ecological evidence informing where new renewable developments go, we must make the shift to clean energy in a nature positive way. Scotland is one of the most wildlife-depleted countries in the world, and our progress in reducing emissions has stalled, so there is no excuse for delaying the transition.”

Dylan Hamilton from youth climate group Fridays for Future commented, “”The Scottish Government has talked the talk, but it’s time to walk the walk.

“We have allowed the climate crisis to worsen and now people are already suffering all over the world. We can’t afford to take our time, it is a fact that to prevent catastrophic climate breakdown we must end oil and gas extraction. You can’t make deals with physics, and millions of lives and the future are on the line.”

Scotland’s demands for energy transition linked to social and environmental harm, new report reveals

Campaigners have called on the Scottish Government to develop a strategy to limit the demand for materials required in the transition away from fossil fuels.

This comes as a new report is released today (31 May) which highlights the widespread human rights abuses and environmental destruction being caused by mining for the minerals that are being used in the energy transition in Scotland.

The report ‘Unearthing Injustice’, commissioned by Friends of the Earth Scotland, looks at the harm being caused by lithium mining, which is used in batteries in electric vehicles, and steel, which is needed for wind turbines. The demand for these materials is going to increase significantly with the growing energy transition.

The risk that serious and extensive harm will be done through material extraction is currently being ignored by Scottish policy makers. This lack of concern about material extraction also jeopardises Scotland’s ability to meet its climate commitments. Uncertain supply of materials needed to build the energy infrastructure means that there is a risk that Scotland’s renewable energy system cannot be delivered as required in Scottish Government plans.

The report found:
– The social and environmental impacts of mining of transition minerals are extensive, from human rights abuses and unsafe labour conditions to carbon intensive extraction techniques, water pollution and biodiversity loss
– Demand for lithium is expected to increase by between 13 and 50 times from 2020 to 2040
– There could be lithium shortages as soon as 2025, with only 1% of lithium recycled currently
– In Scotland, 82% of lithium consumption is for electric vehicle batteries
– There is 1 million tonnes of steel in Scotland’s current offshore wind developments – this will increase to 14 million tonnes by 2050
– Steel production generates 7% of global carbon emissions
– The only way to limit the impact of these materials to sustainable levels is to minimise the need for them

Reducing the demand for lithium and steel can be achieved through measures like changing transport systems so we need fewer cars, and improving reuse and recycling of materials so they can be used more than once. If Scotland’s fossil fuel cars are replaced with more buses, lithium requirements could be reduced by 32% compared with like for like replacement.

The Scottish Government’s draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan includes plans for decarbonising Scotland’s transport network but fails to consider where the lithium needed to do this will come from.

Mining is associated with conflict because exploitation of mineral resources impacts upon nearby communities. It is an extremely energy intensive process and generates large amounts of toxic waste. Mining companies are failing to meet their minimum responsibilities to protect human life and the environment, leading to extensive and serious impacts globally.

The report found that lithium used in Scottish products is most likely to come from Chile and Australia, where Indigenous communities have come into conflict with mining companies. Steel used in Scottish wind turbines is likely to include significant amounts of iron ore from Brazil, where there have been two major tailing dam disasters in the last decade. A 2019 disaster in Minas Gerais killed at least 244 people.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Transitioning away from fossil fuels is vital for a livable planet, but we must not create another crisis in doing so.

“Materials like lithium and steel are essential for renewables and electric vehicles, but we can’t ignore the serious harm being caused by their extraction.

“We want to see a Scotland which takes no more resources than it needs and, when resources are taken, it’s done in a way which isn’t harming communities or nature anywhere in the world.

“The overall demand for materials must be reduced by moving Scotland to a circular economy, where materials are reused and recycled rather than being thrown away after one use, and by focusing on public services rather than private ones.

“We simply cannot replace all our current petrol and diesel cars with electric cars like for like – we need better public transport, so we don’t need as many cars overall. Scotland could take advantage of the large supply of scrap steel available from within our borders and our low carbon electricity grid to produce some of the greenest steel in the world.

“The Scottish Government urgently needs to create a resource justice strategy to make sure Scotland’s material use is fair and sustainable as soon as possible.”

Andy Whitmore, co-chair of London Mining Network, said: “From the deserts of the Atacama to coke ovens in Nova Scotia, our research exposes the human rights and environmental concerns that lie behind the supply chains for minerals associated with the energy transition.

“As governments focus on perceived scarcity there is not enough attention being paid to addressing those abuses, which a commitment to globally fair transition should entail. Proper supply chain due diligence would protect the environment, the rights of workers and of impacted communities, including free, prior and informed consent for Indigenous peoples.”

Jake Simms, co-author of the report, said: “Our research demonstrates the urgent need for a resource justice strategy that delivers justice to workers and communities globally impacted by mineral extraction, processing and manufacturing.

“A resource justice strategy must both drive supply chain justice and minimise mineral demand. Delivering supply chain justice means establishing a publicly owned energy company, enforcing strict due diligence standards and a reparative trade policy that ensures communities impacted by extraction are fairly compensated.”

Unearthing-Injustice-1Download

FoE Scotland: Yousaf must end relationship between Holyrood and the fossil fuel industry

FRIENDS of the EARTH: OIL & GAS INDUSTRY LOBBIED SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT 200+ TIMES UNDER STURGEON’S ‘OPEN-DOOR POLICY’ TO POLLUTERS

Research conducted by Friends of the Earth Scotland has uncovered the shocking extent of the oil and gas industry lobbying of the Scottish Government under Nicola Sturgeon.

Campaigners are concerned that the influence and lobbying by the fossil fuel industry has weakened the Scottish Government’s climate commitments and is slowing action on the transition away from fossil fuels. Oil lobbyists met Ministers as they were preparing the Climate Change Act in 2019, in the runup to COP26, and ahead of the recently published Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

The fossil fuel industry has made hundreds of billions in profits in recent years as household bills have soared. Oil companies are pushing to expand and drill new fields despite the devastating climate impacts of burning fossil fuels.

Campaigners are calling on Humza Yousaf’s new Government to make a clean break from the old regime and end the ‘open door policy’ to big polluters like Shell, BP and Equinor.

The analysis revealed that Ministers met oil company lobbyists nearly once a week over 4 years.

Meetings uncovered include then Finance Secretary Kate Forbes meeting with oil company Equinor during the COP26 climate conference, Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse meeting with BP and Shell in consecutive years at the opera in Florence, Italy, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met with the President of Petrochina at Bute House.

 ++ SCALE OF OIL & GAS LOBBYING ++

Analysis of the Scottish Government’s Lobbying Register and its Ministerial Diaries shows that:

From March 2018 (when the Lobbying Register began) to December 2022, there were 212 recorded meetings between Scottish Government ministers and representatives of the fossil fuel industry.

Of these meetings, junior ministers were present at 115 meetings, Cabinet Secretaries 71 times, Special Advisors 26 times and the First Minister attended 12 of the meetings.

Michael Matheson MSP and Paul Wheelhouse MSP were the industry’s favourites, both clocking up 39 meetings each.

The other members of the Government who met the industry more than 10 times were Ivan McKee MSP, Richard Lochhead MSP and Kate Forbes MSP.

SSE was the most active company with 62 meetings followed by BP with 32 and oil lobby group Offshore Energies UK with 22Scottish Government meetings.

 Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Burning fossil fuels is the major driver of climate breakdown yet the arsonists are being asked how to put out the fire. Under Sturgeon it is clear that the Scottish Government has had an open-door policy towards the fossil fuel industry for years.

“Whilst the true scale of fossil fuel company lobbying is likely to be even greater than what is detailed here, this data, and the Scottish Government’s continued overreliance on speculative technologies that are designed to prolong the life of oil and gas, show that the industry’s lobbying machine has been allowed to exert a harmful influence over decision making on climate and energy.

“The fossil fuel industry has known about the danger of climate breakdown for decades and not only failed to act, but deliberately buried and obscured the truth about their role in driving it. They have repeatedly proven that they cannot be trusted to deliver a just energy transition. If tobacco companies can be banned from lobbying about healthcare, then by the same principle the fossil fuel industry must be stopped from lobbying on climate and energy.

“To avoid catastrophic climate impacts, and do our fair share globally, we must phase out oil and gas in this decade. As First Minister, Humza Yousaf has the chance to chart a new path away from fossil fuels without the industry trying to call the shots. If his Government is serious about tackling the climate crisis and delivering a just transition, it must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and ban them from lobbying.”

Campaigners are highlighting how the Scottish Government is still heavily reliant on Carbon Capture and Storage and hydrogen to meet their climate targets, technologies which are backed by the oil and gas companies as a way to prolong the lifespan of the industry. However, these technologies are unproven at the scale envisaged and it is indisputable that they will not be developed in time to meet the need for urgent action.

In many instances it is clear from the research that the fossil fuel industry scheduled meetings with Ministers in the lead up to decisions being made that would impact their business.

For example, in May and June 2022, Equinor held meetings with Minister for Just Transition Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon shortly before they announced their plans to develop the controversial Rosebank oil field in the North Sea, in August 2022. The Scottish Government has so far failed to directly speak out against Rosebank’s development, despite it being over three times the size of the Cambo oil field which it opposed in 2021.

The fossil fuel industry has had a significant impact on climate policy globally, often pushing for weaker regulations, denying climate science and blocking the transition to renewable energy.

 ++ CAMPAIGN DEMANDS END TO OIL & GAS LOBBYING ++

A global campaign to cut ties between the fossil fuel industry and the main United Nations body that tackles climate change – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – has been calling for a conflict of interest policy that would ban the industry from meetings like Glasgow’s COP26.

There is precedent for companies with vested interest in harmful industries being excluded from decision making spaces, with the World Health Organisation banning lobbying from the tobacco industry on global health policy in 2003.

Campaigners are calling for the new First Minister Humza Yousaf to end the relationship between the fossil fuel industry and the Scottish Government, by ending lobbying meetings between ministers and representatives of the fossil fuel industry. Only meetings necessary to regulate and transition the industry should be permitted, and these should be called by public officials and held transparently.

Friends of the Earth: Climate report highlights need to get off fossil fuels

Environmental campaigners have said that the latest UN climate report makes clear that governments must say no to new fossil fuels and tackle an economic system that is speeding us towards climate breakdown.

Friends of the Earth Scotland Head of Campaigns Mary Church said: “Today’s UN report is another stark warning that the chances of avoiding 1.5°C are shrinking fast.

“Deep emissions cuts are needed now, and the message at the heart of this latest assessment is that we must say no to all new oil and gas projects, put an end to fossil fuel subsidies and urgently start delivering a just transition for impacted communities.

“The science is unequivocal in warning that the impacts of climate breakdown are happening sooner and are more devastating than previously thought, and of the irreversible impacts of going beyond 1.5°C. 

“However, in assuming varying degrees of overshooting the critical 1.5°C threshold, many of the pathways set out in this report are simply untenable and show the political battles that are being fought around how to act on the science. 

“What’s crystal clear is that this crisis is being driven by corporations who are profiting from climate catastrophe and over-consumption by the rich, particularly in the global north.

“Despite the bleak findings of today’s report, hope remains because the science also shows that another world, with decent standards of living for all, is still possible within the remaining carbon budget. But only if we rapidly phase out fossil fuels, and wealthy countries responsible for driving the climate to the brink start doing their fair share of action.

“The Scottish Government must heed the science, live up to its own rhetoric on justice and end its fixation with the dodgy technologies like carbon capture that are being pushed by industry that would gamble with life on earth for the sake of squeezing out every last drop of oil, and urgently get on with delivering a just transition to a renewable energy economy.” 

Hemantha Withanage, Chair of Friends of the Earth International, added: “In my country, Sri Lanka, the impacts of climate change are being felt now. We have no time to chase fairy tales like carbon removal technologies to suck carbon out of the air.

“The IPCC evidence is clear: climate change is killing people, nature and planet. The answers are obvious: a fair and fast phaseout of fossil fuels, and finance for a just transition. The fantasy of overshooting safe limits and betting on risky technofixes is certainly not a cure for the problem.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the UN body responsible for climate science – published its Synthesis report today, capturing the latest findings from its 6th round of Assessment Reports on the Physical Science Basis, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and Mitigation of Climate Change, and the three preceding Special Reports including 2018’s Global Warming of 1.5C. 

These reports help inform climate campaigners and shape government climate action around the world. The IPCC carries out its Assessment Report in cycles spanning several years meaning the next time they will issue such reports could be towards the end of this decade when the world hopes to be in a very different place. 

The IPCC’s AR6 Synthesis Report and Summary for Policy Makers is available at: 

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