Tag: Friends of the Earth Scotland

Fossil fuels driving extreme heat and climate breakdown

Environmental campaigners have commented on the extreme weather conditions in the UK. 


Friends of the Earth Scotland Head of Campaigns Mary Church said: “The extreme heat we are experiencing in Scotland, throughout the UK and Europe is one of the many frightening faces of climate change.

“We must be absolutely clear that the impacts of this heatwave on people’s health and wellbeing, on the NHS, on public transport, on the economy are the result of the continued burning of fossil fuels. Climate breakdown is here, it is deadly serious and it will get much worse unless we act urgently to end our reliance on oil and gas.

“The immediate focus should be ensuring that people are kept cool and safe through this period of record-breaking heat. But once it passes, politicians must get serious about stopping the causes of the crisis and about adapting to the increasingly extreme climate impacts that are already locked in due to our leaders’ inadequate action to date.

“Burning fossil fuels is the primary driver of climate breakdown so we must rapidly phase out North Sea oil and gas production, as part of a just transition to a renewable-powered economy with decent green jobs and affordable energy for all.

“The time for rhetorical climate leadership is long past – we need action not words and we need it now.”

Scottish Govt: caution advised in extreme heat

Amber weather warning resilience arrangements remain in place in Scotland today.

People are being asked to consider whether they need to travel and to plan ahead before making any journeys as Scotland copes with the impact of extreme heat.

Justice Secretary and lead minister for resilience Keith Brown has chaired a Scottish Government Resilience Committee meeting (SGoRR) to monitor the impacts of the Met Office Amber warning, while Transport Scotland’s resilience room is closely monitoring impacts across the transport network

The Amber warning has been extended further northeast and now includes Dundee, Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, Perth, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and eastern parts of Lanarkshire as well as the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. The warning is currently in force and will last until 23.59 on Tuesday 19 July.

Mr Brown also attended the latest Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) meeting.

He said: “Following the weather warnings, our resilience arrangements have been activated. We are receiving regular updates from partners including Transport Scotland, the Met Office, the NHS and emergency services and we’ll continue to closely monitor developments.

“I would urge people to think about whether they need to travel and if they do, make sure they’re properly equipped, and plan their journey in advance. Rail passengers and drivers should make sure they have water, sunscreen, hats and sunglasses and have a fully charged phone in case of any difficulties. Any drivers who face breakdowns should seek a safe, shady place, and stay hydrated.

“When temperatures increase, it’s important to monitor forecasts and follow public health advice, including staying hydrated and drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding excess alcohol. People should also look out for vulnerable family, friends and neighbours, as older people, those with underlying conditions and those living alone may struggle to keep cool and hydrated.

“Water safety incidents and drownings increase in hot weather and it’s vital that people are aware of the dangers and use supervised beaches and pools when possible – follow the Water Safety Code and in an emergency call 999. People should also be aware of the dangers of wildfires.”

TUC: Urgent heatwave warning to union reps and workers

With the Met Office issuing its first “Red Extreme” and “danger to life” heat warning for Monday (18) and Tuesday (19), and temperatures in some places reaching 40°C, the TUC is calling on bosses to make sure workers are protected from the sun and the heat.

Workers should be aware that employers have a duty of care, and a legal obligation to protect their health, ensuring working temperatures are reasonable, comfortable and safe.

These temperatures present a serious risk of sunstroke, heat stress and sunburn. Working in hot weather can also lead to dehydration, tiredness, muscle cramps, rashes, fainting, and – in the most extreme cases – loss of consciousness.

If a colleague becomes confused or agitated, loses consciousness, or is unable to drink, seek urgent medical attention.

Outdoor work

Employers must work with union health and safety reps to introduce measures to protect their staff who work outdoors when the temperatures rise, including:

  • Avoiding outside tasks between 11am – 3pm when temperatures, and risks, are highest.
  • Provide sunscreen and advice on the need for protection, available in other languages for migrant workers where relevant.
  • Allow staff to take plenty of breaks and provide a supply of drinking water.
  • Provide canopies or covering over open areas and shaded areas for breaks.
  • Provide lightweight protective clothing, including hats.

Driving

The heat can be dangerous for workers whose jobs involve driving, as any driver suffering from fatigue is a risk to themselves and other people. vehicles used for long journeys should be temporarily taken out of use if they cannot sustain a reasonable temperature, e.g. they do not have air conditioning.

Indoor work

Indoor workplaces could also become dangerously hot, and TUC advice is that nobody should be working indoors where temperatures exceed 30°C. At 24°C employers must take action to cool the air, and other measures including:

  • Using fans or other mechanisms to cool the air, as well as adequate ventilation.
  • Relaxing dress codes and uniform policies.
  • Allowing rest breaks and adjusting shifts to avoid travelling in peak heat.
  • Moving workspaces away from windows and other heat sources, using blinds to block out sun.
  • Providing cool drinking water.

Maximum temperatures

Employers must ensure working temperatures are “reasonable”. The TUC believes employers must take action when indoor temperatures exceed 24°C, with 30°C being an absolute maximum – certainly no longer “reasonable”.

Guidance elsewhere states:

  • In the US regulations say working temperatures should not go beyond 24°C
  • Spain has strict guidelines on working temperature: it must not go beyond 27°C indoors or 25°C for physical activity.
  • In Germany, 26°C is generally considered the maximum for indoor work.
  • In China, when temperatures reach 37°C outdoor work is banned during the hottest three hours of the day, and at 40°C it must stop altogether.
  • In the UAE, outdoor work is banned entirely between the hours of 12:30 and 15:00 when it’s hottest.

SPF is PPE

Personal Protective Equipment is defined as “all equipment which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his health or safety, and any addition or accessory designed to meet that objective.”

Sunburn and complications resulting from UVA radiation are a known risk to health, and outdoor workers are already three times more likely to develop skin cancer than the general working population. Sunscreen creates a barrier between the worker and the risk, and as such should be considered personal protective equipment.

Employers should provide sunscreen with a factor of at least 30, made available free of charge to all workers whose work involves outdoor activities.

Excuses such as allergies should be dismissed. Workers can be allergic to any number of ingredients, fabrics or materials used in equipment, for example hand sanitsier.

Refusal by a worker to wear PPE on that basis is valid. Refusal by the employer to supply it to the wider workforce is not.

The right to refuse

Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 provides workers protection from detriment (i.e. dismissal, disciplinary or a pay cut) if they withdraw from and to refuse to return to a workplace that is unsafe.

Workers are entitled to remain away from the workplace if – in their opinion – the prevailing circumstances represent a real risk of “serious and imminent danger” which they could not be expected to avert.

The TUC says workers should seek advice from their union before using their rights under Section 44.

Just Transition: Government must act on decarbonisation recommendations

Trade unions and environmental organisations are calling on the Scottish Government to show real commitment to fairly cutting climate pollution throughout the economy and to embrace the recommendations of the new Just Transition Commission’s first report published today.

The Just Transition Partnership, an initiative set up by Scottish Trades Union Congress and Friends of Earth Scotland in 2016, had called on the Scottish Government to set up the Commission.

The Partnership praised the first report of the new Just Transition Commission for its sharp focus on closing the investment gap, delivering a better deal for workers, tackling inequalities at every level and the need for a global just transition.

The report also calls for:

 + targeted investment in public transport, expanding rail networks, making services affordable and improving provision in remote and rural areas, rejecting Scottish Government proposals for cuts to the railway;

 + urgently tackling fuel poverty and “affordable clean energy [to be made] be available to all…addressing pricing barriers for renewable sources and reducing energy consumption through increased efficiency”;

 + the new National Care Service to be placed “firmly within the public sphere, with a robust public investment plan and a human rights delivery approach at the local, regional and national level”;

 + a new approach to industrial planning to address the “challenges of large-scale decarbonisation, the cost-of-living emergency and the climate emergency [and which] demand a whole system transformation”;

 + prioritising a ‘do no harm’ approach overseas, recognising that Scotland’s “position as an advanced economy was gained through the historic exploitation of fossil fuels, and indeed the natural resources of formerly colonised regions”.

STUC Deputy General Secretary Dave Moxham said: “We have long argued for a coherent low-carbon industrial strategy that creates decent unionised jobs through significant public investment and places the voice of workers at its core via trade union involvement at national and workplace level.

“This report lays out some of the important steps that the Scottish Government should take to achieve a Just Transition in areas such as energy, buildings and transport to ensure that workers and their communities are not left behind.

“The National Care Service recommendations are welcome. As with energy, we believe public ownership is best for tackling the climate and cost of living emergencies. Taking care services away from local government damages local delivery and accountability.”

Friends of Earth Scotland Head of Campaigns Mary Church said: “From investing in and expanding public transport to making clean energy available and affordable to all, this report outlines a series of clear recommendations for a transformative programme of climate action that can serve people and the planet.

“It also highlights the need for contingency plans where negative emissions technologies are relied on, a timely echo of repeated warnings on this front with the Scottish Government’s recent admission that these technologies won’t deliver for 2030.

“It’s hugely welcome that the report calls for an approach to just transition that does no harm overseas, particularly in the global south, and the duty on Scotland as a rich,  historical polluter in creating an enabling environment for a global just transition through climate finance, knowledge and resource sharing.

“The Scottish Government must now take rapid action to deliver on these recommendations to plug the gaping hole in its climate plan and ensure we can hit climate targets, tackle the energy price crisis while creating new opportunities for workers and communities across the country, and paying our climate debt to the global South.”

Ministers will have an opportunity to show their commitment to a Just Transition by incorporating the report’s recommendations in the draft revised Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan which is scheduled for consultation in Autumn and in the forthcoming Climate Change Plan, expected in spring 2023.

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Investing in net zero: £10 million to accelerate hydrogen technology

New funding to drive innovation within the hydrogen sector and accelerate its production and storage has been launched.

The £10 million Hydrogen Innovation Scheme will provide capital support over the next four years . This  aims to unlock additional private investment in the technology, and enable new companies to enter the sector.

The first round of funding will target:

  • projects that support the low-cost, efficient and sustainable production of renewable hydrogen
  • projects that support efficient hydrogen storage and distribution, both within Scotland and for export
  • projects that support the efficient integration of hydrogen into our energy system

The scheme is part of a Scottish Government commitment to invest £100 million in hydrogen over the course of this parliament. This is part of a wider £180 million package of investment in emerging energy technologies which will be delivered as set out in our updated Climate Change Plan.

Net Zero & Energy Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Scotland has the resources, the people and the ambition to become a world leader in hydrogen production for both domestic use and for export to Europe.

“The Scottish Government is committed to working with the energy sector to establish hydrogen as an important part of a cleaner, greener energy system, supporting a just transition for the industry both home and abroad.

“Our offshore wind resources, which will increase massively in the coming years, offer huge opportunity for the Hydrogen sector to grow. As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, and our clear ambition to have 5GW installed hydrogen production capacity in Scotland by 2030 and 25GW by 2045. 

“We are open to the world and actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with international partners. The Hydrogen Innovation Scheme provides important, near-term investment to help the sector develop, diversify and realise it’s potential to support our transition to a net zero economy.” 

Andy McDonald, Head of Low Carbon Transition at Scottish Enterprise said: “Scottish Enterprise is collaborating with Scottish Government to develop opportunities in the hydrogen sector in Scotland that will maximise the economic benefits and support energy transition.

“We share the ambition to develop Scotland as a leading hydrogen nation. Innovation is a big part of that as it is at the heart of economic development.

“It is important in an emerging sector like hydrogen that we support Scottish companies and projects now to develop new techniques and technologies which can help us to realise our future ambitions in this sector and to retain as much value and intellectual property in Scotland as possible. Scottish Enterprise is engaged with the Hydrogen Innovation Fund and supporting its implementation.”

Nigel Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association said: “The Hydrogen Innovation Scheme will help Scotland to develop our hydrogen supply chain and build the international partnerships to grow Scottish capacity and export capabilities.

“This is a great opportunity for our manufacturers, innovators, and researchers not yet involved in the hydrogen sector to establish new activities in Scotland.”

John Andresen, Hydrogen Strategic Champion at the Energy Technology Partnership said: “The Energy Technology Partnership is very pleased about the new Scottish Government’s £10 million Hydrogen Innovation Scheme which will foster national technological progress and advance home-grown innovation.

“A key funding route for the green powerhouse of Europe.”

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Friends of the Earth Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to ensure that their new £10million Hydrogen Innovation Fund will not go to companies or projects producing hydrogen from fossil fuels.

The Fund was launched as a separate new report showed 98% of global hydrogen production is from climate-damaging fossil fuels. The research revealed that carbon capture technology, which is intended to catch the pollution created by fossil fuelled hydrogen, was only 60% effective.

This means that fossil fuel-derived hydrogen will still make a huge contribution to climate change and allow companies to greenwash the oil and gas they are extracting from the North Sea.

The announcement is part of a £100million commitment by the Scottish Government to invest in hydrogen over the term of this Parliament.

The report, ‘Hydrogen’s role in Scotland’s climate journey’, which was commissioned by Friends of the Earth Scotland also exposed the inefficiencies, high costs and threat to renewable energy supplies posed by hydrogen.

Key findings from the report:

– Using green hydrogen to meet Scotland’s heating demand would require 180% more renewable energy than Scotland produces currently
– 80% of current renewable energy supplies would be needed to create just 5GW of green hydrogen
– Electric heat pumps can be 168-342% more efficient than hydrogen boilers
– Hydrogen boilers can be 53-68% more expensive than electric heat pumps
– Electric vehicles are more than twice as energy efficient than hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
– Adopting green hydrogen in industry would require nearly twice as much new renewable energy capacity compared to electrification technologies

Scottish Government officials have recently admitted that so-called ‘negative emissions technology’ like CCS and hydrogen would not deliver this decade, leaving a huge gap in its plans to cut climate emissions.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Climate Campaigner Alex Lee said: “The Scottish Government must not hand out any more public money for the development of hydrogen from oil and gas, which will produce even more climate pollution and give fossil fuel companies a chance to greenwash their dangerous plans to keep on drilling in the North Sea.

“Producing hydrogen from fossil fuels is an expensive and unnecessary way to clean up our energy system due to its reliance on dodgy technologies like carbon capture and storage which fail to work at the scale its backers claim.

“This approach is far from zero carbon and keeps us locked into the same volatile system of oil and gas which is already unaffordable for millions of people.

“The evidence clearly shows that hydrogen is either made from climate-wrecking fossil fuels or it becomes a huge drain on renewable energy supplies. Hydrogen is a high cost, low efficiency non-solution to our energy needs and the Scottish Government must urgently rethink their plans for its expansion.

“Whether it is in heating or transport, support for hydrogen looks like a losing bet when compared to direct electrification through technology like heat pumps and electric buses. 

“By ending support for fossil-hydrogen and prioritising electrification over green hydrogen, the Scottish Government can better protect households from high costs and ensure renewables can clean up our energy system.”

Details on the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme are available on the Scottish Government website.

Scottish Government admits ‘gaping hole’ in Climate Change Plan

Environmental campaigners have slammed the Scottish Government’s plan to meet climate targets after a key progress report exposed a huge shortfall in emissions reductions due to over-reliance on carbon capture and storage and other ‘Negative Emissions Technologies’ (NETs).

Ministers produced a Climate Change Plan update (CCPu) in 2020 which calculated that these technologies would be responsible for cutting almost 20% of Scottish emissions reductions by 2030, rising to an astonishing quarter of cuts as soon as 2032. These ‘NETs’ also included blue hydrogen production, bioenergy from burning biomass, both of which are reliant on CCS.

This was despite repeated warnings by Holyrood Committees and environmental experts who scrutinised the updated Climate Plan and warned that the Government must come up with a ‘Plan B’ in case the technologies failed to develop as predicted. Independent advisors at the UK Committee on Climate Change also urged the Scottish Government to develop contingency plans to meet climate targets if technologies like CCS do deliver at the rate hoped for.

The recently published Climate Change Plan Monitoring Report reveals that the Scottish Government now accepts that NETs cannot deliver “at the pace assumed in the CCPu.”

The Report cites the lack of commitment by commercial operators to employ NETs models, the de-prioritisation of Scottish sites in the UK Government framework for supporting NETs, and the lack of availability of sustainable home-grown supply of biomass in coming to this conclusion, despite the Scottish Government offering handouts of tens of millions of pounds in their Emerging Energy Fund.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Climate Campaigner Alex Lee said: “The Scottish Government has accepted at last that its faith in carbon capture and storage and hydrogen was wildly misplaced.

“Ministers ignored repeated warnings about relying on these technologies which have a track record of over-promising and under-delivering, and now there is a gaping hole in the plan to meet climate targets.

“The Government must now go back to the drawing board and come up with a credible plan to make up for this vast shortfall, which amounts to a whopping quarter of emissions cuts in only ten years time. Instead of throwing more money at fantasy techno-fixes, they should be ramping up support for reliable renewable power and energy efficiency measures which we know can deliver in the short term.

“By the end of this decade, Scotland must have made real progress in a transformational  plan that phases out fossil fuel extraction and use, while ensuring a just transition for workers and communities currently dependent on the industry.”

New report must ‘change the conversation’ on controversial Hydrogen technology

Environmental campaigners are demanding that the Scottish Government rethink their commitment to hydrogen technologies after a new report exposed their inefficiencies, soaring costs and the threat posed to renewable energy supplies.

The report, ‘Hydrogen’s role in Scotland’s climate journey’, commissioned by Friends of the Earth Scotland found that 98% of global hydrogen production is from fossil fuels.

Fossil fuel-derived ‘blue’ hydrogen is made using carbon capture and storage (CCS) but this technology was revealed to only be 60% effective, meaning huge amounts of climate changing pollution is released, critically undermining the key argument made by its proponents. Blue hydrogen is dependent on CCS technology that is in its infancy in Europe and has repeatedly failed to get off the ground in the UK.

The research showed that ‘green’ hydrogen, whilst lower carbon than fossil fuel derived hydrogen, has serious drawbacks such as the enormous levels of renewable energy required to produce it. If Scotland’s 2030 target was to be met by green hydrogen, it would require 80% of the country’s entire renewable energy supply – enough electricity for over 6 million homes.

Using hydrogen for heating our homes was found to be more expensive and less efficient than direct electrification through technologies like heat pumps. Similarly, powering transport with renewable energy directly is already much more efficient, cheaper, and more advanced commercially than deploying hydrogen in transport.

The campaigners are now calling on the Scottish Government to end any further public funding to hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, and to prioritise electrification over hydrogen in crucial areas such as heating and transport.

The report as Scottish Government officials admitted that so called ‘negative emissions technology’ like CCS and hydrogen would not deliver this decade, leaving a huge gap in its plans to cut climate emissions.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Climate Campaigner Alex Lee said: “This research must change the conversation around the role of hydrogen in Scotland’s climate efforts. The evidence clearly shows that hydrogen is either made from climate-wrecking fossil fuels or it becomes a huge drain on renewable energy supplies.

“The Scottish Government must end their support for the development of hydrogen from fossil fuels, which will only produce yet more climate pollution and give fossil fuel companies a chance to greenwash their image whilst they keep drilling new fields in the North Sea.

“Hydrogen from renewables is a high cost, low efficiency solution to our energy needs and the Scottish Government must urgently rethink their plans for its expansion.  Whether it is in heating or transport, support for hydrogen looks like a losing bet when compared to direct electrification through technology like heat pumps and electric buses.

“By prioritising electrification over green hydrogen, the Scottish Government can better protect households from high costs and ensure renewables can clean up our energy system.”

Key findings from the report:

– 98% of the global hydrogen production is from fossil fuels

– Using green hydrogen to meet Scotland’s heating demand would require 180% more renewable energy than Scotland produces currently

– 80% of current renewable energy supplies would be needed to create just 5GW of green hydrogen

– Electric heat pumps may be 168-342% more efficient than hydrogen boilers

– Hydrogen boilers may be 53-68% more expensive than electric heat pumps

– Electric vehicles are more than twice as energy efficient than hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

– Adopting green hydrogen in industry would require nearly twice as much new renewable energy capacity compared to electrification technologies.

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New incinerators ban welcomed

The Circular Economy Minister has set out the action that will be taken to deliver on the recommendations of an independent review of the role of incineration.

In a Ministerial Statement to parliament, she confirmed that the Scottish Government has accepted all twelve recommendations, including Dr Church’s recommendation that no further planning permission for incineration facilities should be granted.

New national planning policy will be introduced through National Planning Framework 4, which will be presented to the Scottish Parliament for approval later this year. This policy will make clear that the Scottish Government does not support the development of further municipal waste incineration capacity in Scotland, with very limited exceptions.

In the meantime, a notification direction will remain in place, requiring local authorities to alert Scottish Ministers of new planning applications that involve incineration facilities. A similar notification direction was used previously, and successfully, to give the effect of a moratorium on Unconventional Oil and Gas.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Reducing waste and recycling what we do produce is key to tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity and ensuring we all enjoy a healthy environment. That’s why we are taking action to create a circular economy, in which materials are kept in use for as long as possible and precious natural resources are not wasted.

“We also need to make sure we manage unavoidable and unrecyclable waste in the short term. By putting in place sensible measures to limit and gradually reduce Scotland’s incineration capacity, we can make sure we can manage our waste today, while ensuring our future waste infrastructure aligns with our climate targets.

“I look forward to working with local authorities and industry to take forward these recommendations.”

Environmental campaigners have welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to ban new incinerators as an important step forwards and urged Ministers to next tackle the impact of existing incinerators.

Kim Pratt, Friends of the Earth Scotland Circular Economy Campaigner said: “The Scottish Government’s ban on new incinerators is very welcome news and must mark the beginning of the end for these polluting projects that keep us locked into sending valuable resources up in smoke.

“It is vital the Scottish Government acts now to tackle the impact of our existing incinerators, given their huge climate pollution. Reducing the amount of plastic waste burnt is the only viable option for cutting emissions from existing plants. Carbon Capture and Storage is completely unsuitable for incineration as it is technically challenging, extremely expensive and locks us into a polluting system.

“Scotland will have more capacity than there is waste to burn by 2027 because of those plants already in the pipeline. Incinerator investors and operators now have a choice to buy into a circular economy for Scotland or to burn away that future.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland also warned that the approval last week by West Dunbartonshire Council of an application for a waste plastic-to-hydrogen plant, which could be ; “n incinerator in all but name, risks the development escaping the new ban through a loophole.

Kim Pratt concluded: “We are deeply concerned about the approval of a new waste plastic-to-hydrogen plant, which is an incinerator in all but name, by West Dunbartonshire Council.

“The decision, which has come despite the introduction of the ban on new incinerators, undermines the current approach. The Scottish Government must urgently review the boundaries of the ban to ensure it is being applied fully and effectively.”

To find out more read the Friends of the Earth Scotland response to the Incineration Review:

https://foe-scotland.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b5ad0d61b2a67d22c68bf7d8d&id=1faf3d4515&e=195fc3d780

Campaigners slam approval of new gas field

UK GOVERNMENT ‘POURING FUEL ON THE FIRE’ AS JACKDAW FIELD APPROVED

Environmental campaigners have slammed the UK Government’s approval of Shell’s plans to develop the Jackdaw gas field as ignoring climate science and entrenching reliance on gas despite the energy price crisis and need to move away from fossil fuels.

The proposal for the Jackdaw field, which holds gas with an unusually high CO2 content, was previously rejected by the environmental regulator on climate grounds, however Shell resubmitted the application earlier this year with only minimal changes.

In 2020, the International Energy Agency said that there should be “no new oil and gas fields approved for development” anywhere in the world to keep within the 1.5C limit of dangerous climate warming. UCL research found that new oil and gas licences were incompatible with the UK’s international climate commitments, while peer-reviewed analysis by Oil Change International has found that 40% of existing developed reserves of fossil fuels cannot be extracted to have a 50% chance of staying within 1.5C.

Activists organised a protest outside the UK Government building in Edinburgh yesterday to demand the UK Government reverses its decision to approve Shell’s Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. Over 3,600 people signed a petition by Friends of the Earth Scotland, Greenpeace and Uplift opposing the field.

Mary Church, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “The decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field exposes Boris Johnson’s climate leadership rhetoric at COP26 last year as pure greenwash. The UK Government is pouring fuel on the fire of the social and climate crises by deepening our reliance on fossil fuels.

“Approving the Jackdaw field will do nothing to help people who face higher bills in the UK or to tackle the climate crisis. The only people who benefit are executives and shareholders at Shell who are hellbent on destroying the planet for their own profit.

“The UK Government must reverse this approval, stop issuing any new fossil fuel licences and start planning for a managed phase-out of production, with a just transition for workers and communities. It must also do much more to alleviate the suffering of households as the energy price crisis bites, and urgently ramp up retrofits to keep homes warm while helping end reliance on expensive gas.”

Maciej Walczuk, an activist with Stop Jackdaw, said: “The UK Government is using people’s rising bills as an excuse to allow Shell to continue profiteering from the climate crisis.

“We need investments into insulation and a planned transition away from fossil fuels to tackle the climate crisis, not to increase our dependence on them.”

The crucial 1.5C climate limit was enshrined in the Paris Agreement. A growing consensus is emerging on the future of fossil fuels, with the UN General Secretary describing their expansion as ‘economic and moral madness’ and the IEA and UKCCC calling for production to be limited.

Inverleith Green councillor Julie Bandel attended the rally. She tweeted: “Quick lunchtime rally to protest the absolute madness that is approving a new oil field in the middle of a climate crisis and giving Shell a tax rebate for it.

🤯

“Scotland desperately needs a just transition to protect livelihoods and the planet.”

#StopJackdaw

Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury: Incineration review published

An independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland, which recommends a  cap on future incineration capacity, has been welcomed by the Circular Economy Minister.

Friends of the Earth Scotland have also welcomed it’s findings but say a clear exit strategy is still needed.

The report, which was authored by waste sector expert Dr Colin Church, reviews the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy, with a focus on aligning national capacity with Scotland’s waste reduction targets.

The report makes 12 policy recommendations for the Scottish Government, local authorities and the wider waste industry, including:

  • no further planning permission should be granted to incineration infrastructure within the scope of this Review, unless balanced by an equal or greater closure of capacity.
  • developing an indicative cap that declines over time for the amount of residual waste treatment needed as Scotland transitions towards a fully circular economy.
  • to strengthen community engagement and trust before, during and after development.

The Scottish Government will set out its initial response to the Review in June.

Public consultations on a Circular Economy Bill and a Waste Route Map will launch this month.

Dr Colin Church said: “The evidence I received shows that, whilst well-regulated incineration does have a role to play in managing unavoidable residual waste in Scotland, the capacity currently being proposed is likely to be more than needed, so a lot of it should not be built.

“For the proportion that is developed, the level and quality of engagement with local communities needs to be excellent, which unfortunately has not always been the case to date.

“There is also more that must be done to reduce the climate impacts of waste incineration, and I look forward to revisiting my provisional recommendations in this area in due course.”

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “I would like to thank Dr Church for delivering this work, which will play a pivotal role in shaping Scotland’s future waste policy.

“We want to create a circular economy, where materials stay in use for as long as possible, and nothing is wasted. Only by increasing reuse and recycling can Scotland meet its net zero targets, and we will be publishing ambitious proposals to achieve this soon.

“It is clear from the review that although incineration has a role to play in managing Scotland’s unavoidable, unrecyclable residual waste in a safe way, that role is inevitably limited. As we transition to a circular economy, Scotland will need significantly less incineration capacity than is currently projected and it is vital that we do not have more capacity than we need.

“Dr Church has proposed some valuable recommendations and outlined some important considerations for how we can align the management of residual waste in Scotland with our net zero ambitions. We will consider the recommendations carefully and provide an initial response in June.”

Environmental campaigners have also welcomed the independent report which calls for an immediate ban on new incinerators – but say a clear exit strategy from incineration is still needed.

The report from an independent review has been published today (10 May), and shows the scale of the nation’s incineration problem. The report makes 12 policy recommendations for the Scottish Government, local authorities and wider waste industry.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “This report shows that the alarming rise in incineration in Scotland must be stopped immediately – rapid action is needed to prevent the loss of valuable resources and stop the climate-wrecking emissions being caused by burning plastics.

“A ban on new incinerators is the first step in turning Scotland’s waste management system around, but it’s only half of the solution. The report makes it clear that more must be done to minimise waste and recycle as much as possible.

“Our current incinerators are some of Scotland’s biggest polluters so they must be phased out if Scotland is to meet its climate goals. It is concerning that the report does not include a detailed carbon assessment, given the direct threat of incinerators to our climate goals.

“Burning plastic releases more carbon than coal and the only way to cut emissions from incineration for good is to stop burning waste. We need to value resources properly, rather than taking from nature, using once then burning or burying the waste.”

The capacity analysis from the report shows that in five years time (2027) Scotland will have more incineration capacity than there is available waste to burn.

One of the first major actions undertaken by Lorna Slater, Minister for the Circular Economy, was to initiate an independent review of incineration of waste. Scotland now joins Wales, which banned incineration in 2021 and has the third highest recycling rates in the world.

Over 1,000 people supported Friends of the Earth Scotland’s calls for an immediate ban of new incinerators and of plastics being sent to incinerators, and a phase out of those already operating.

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Council elections are ‘key moment’ in tackling the climate crisis, says FoE

Environmental campaigners say the upcoming council elections are going to be significant in tackling the climate crisis, and are calling on all parties to make policies on transport and waste management a priority.

The councillors elected across Scotland in May will be in their position for five years in what is a vital decade for action to avert climate breakdown.

The UN climate conference in Glasgow was a key moment for international action, but the powers held by Councils makes them pivotal when it comes to tackling Scotland’s emissions and building on the legacy of COP26.

Transport is the primary source of carbon emissions in Scotland, making up around a third of the total. While progress has been made in other areas, this has barely changed in the last three decades.

Councils have the power to set up publicly-owned bus companies which could make a significant difference here. They also receive funding, which will be increasing in the coming years as part of the SNP and Greens agreement, for cycling and walking, which some councils currently make use of more than others.

Scotland is now burning almost as much of its household waste as it is sending to landfill, while household recycling rates have fallen by 2.9% to 42.0% between 2019 and 2020. This means Scotland now has the poorest recycling rates in the UK. Councils are in charge of designing and providing waste collection systems for households and therefore have a key role to play in reducing the carbon impact of household waste.

Mary Church, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “These elections are being contested against the backdrop of a climate and nature emergency. Many of the powers to drive action on the climate crisis sit with local councils, which is why this vote matters so much.

“Councillors must put people and the planet at the heart of all of the decisions they make. This means making it easier and more affordable to take public transport by running services in the interests of passengers rather than shareholders, helping people to reduce and recycle their waste, and planning for the vital phase out of incineration.

“Over the coming weeks, people can get in touch with candidates to hear what they have to say on these climate-critical issues and build pressure for ambition and urgency at the local level during the next five years.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland has set out a programme of priorities for climate action they want parties to champion, which can be downloaded below: 

FoE-ManifestoDownload

https://foe-scotland.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b5ad0d61b2a67d22c68bf7d8d&id=03ff780cb6&e=195fc3d780

Coffee cup charge plans re-introduced

Campaigners call for more ambition

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has announced the formation of an advisory group that will shape plans for mandatory charges on coffee cups and other single-use disposable beverage containers.

Work to tackle single-use cup waste is re-starting, having been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The charge is expected to come into effect during the course of this parliament.

The group will contain representatives from every stage of the supply chain – from manufacturers and distributors through small and large retailers – as well as consumer groups, environmental NGOs, equalities groups and academics.

Charging for single-use cups will help encourage people to make the move to reusable alternatives and support the shift to a more circular economy.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Single-use coffee cups are a classic example of the throwaway culture that we are taking action to tackle. 

“Lots of people already carry a reusable cup with them, but hundreds of millions of single-use cups are still being wasted every single year.

“Evidence shows that a small charge on single-use cups can be hugely effective in encouraging people to switch to a reusable alternative.

“I look forward to working with experts representing business, the environment and consumers to take forward this important measure. Alongside Scotland’s deposit return scheme, which will recycle nearly two billion bottles and cans every year, and our action to ban some of the most problematic single-use plastics, this will make a vital contribution to reducing the amount of waste generated in the country.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Single-use items, like cups, are emblematic of the throwaway culture we need to change if we want to tackle the climate crisis.

“We know there’s an appetite for action on such items, with a recent Zero Waste Scotland survey indicating that 66 per cent of Scots would support introducing charges to limit the use of single-use plastic and packaging.

“Switching to reusable over single-use is one of the best things we can all do for the environment, so it’s hugely welcome news that work to shape a chargeable cup scheme is continuing with the formation of an advisory group.”

Campaigners are calling for more ambition, however. Friends of the Earth Scotland point out that disposable cups are a small part of Scotland’s overall material footprint. Scotland consumed 100 million tonnes of materials in 2017, and must reduce this by 57% to become environmentally sustainable.

Removing disposable cups completely would be less than 0.01% (4,000 tonnes) of the change that is needed.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “Disposable cups are a symbol of our linear economy that we need to move away from, but we simply do not have the time to change our economy one product at a time.

“The Scottish Government must go further and faster on this, and it needs to use the charge introduction to learn lessons that can be applied more widely.

“Over-consumption is causing the climate crisis, and changing our culture of consumption is a key part of the solution. The Circular Economy Bill, which is being consulted on by the Scottish Government in May, is a vital opportunity to make the whole system change that is needed.”

82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint relates to material consumption. From buildings and transport to food and clothing, we use materials in a linear way: extracting raw materials, making them into products, using them (sometimes only once) and throwing them away to be burnt or buried.

Cutting our material consumption to sustainable levels will support Scotland to reach its climate goals.