EXTRA SNP GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO SUPPORT COUNCIL SERVICES
The City of Edinburgh has received an additional £45.825 million from the SNP Government to support local services in Edinburgh and tackle the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Local authorities will also receive their fair share of a further £184.8 million which is currently undistributed but will be allocated following parliamentary approval.
The extra funding has also been provided to help offset the drop in revenue that the capital has lost during the pandemic and brings the overall support package to councils over the COVID-19 pandemic to more than £1 billion.
The new figures come after Scotland’s Finance Secretary, Kate Forbes, announced that businesses, including taxi drivers, travel agents and those working in the hospitality sector, across Scotland will benefit from a new £185 million package of targeted coronavirus support.
Commenting, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald said: “The pandemic has put enormous pressure on households, communities and local services right across Scotland, and it’s right that the SNP Government has ensured our capital has more funding to deal with this.
“This funding boost is supporting access to food, welfare payments and frontline services, and is just one way the SNP is providing to individuals and businesses to protect jobs and incomes.
“There’s even more cash to come – and if we all stick together, and continue following the rules in the coming months, we will beat this pandemic.”
The Scottish Government have committed an additional £791.9 million in COVID related funding to support local authority services, including the estimated consequentials of £90 million for a lost income scheme.
The following table includes £607.1 million of that funding with local authorities receiving their fair share of a further £184.8 million which is currently undistributed but will be allocated following parliamentary approval.
The furlough scheme has been extended until the end of April 2021 with the government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages – giving businesses and employees across the UK certainty into the New Year, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced yesterday.
certainty for millions of jobs and businesses as furlough scheme extended until the end of April 2021
businesses struggling will have now until the end of March to access government generous loan schemes
Chancellor also confirmed that the Budget will be on the 3 March and set out the next phase of the plan to tackle the virus and protect jobs
In a move to ensure firms can access the support they need through continuing economic disruption, Rishi Sunak also confirmed he would be extending the government-guaranteed Covid-19 business loan schemes until the end of March.
These changes come ahead of the Budget, which the Chancellor has confirmed will take place on 3 March 2021. This will deliver the next phase of the plan to tackle the virus and protect jobs, so the extensions to the business loan and furlough schemes enable businesses to plan with certainty and access support in the first few months of the New Year ahead of the further update on wider Covid-19 economic support.
So far, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) scheme has protected 9.6 million jobs across the UK with more than one million businesses accessing loans to help them through the crisis.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “Our package of support for businesses and workers continues to be one of the most generous and effective in the world – helping our economy to recover and protecting livelihoods across the country.
“We know the premium businesses place on certainty, so it is right that we enable businesses to plan ahead regardless of the path the virus takes, which is why we’re providing certainty and clarity by extending this support, as well as implementing our Plan for Jobs.”
Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, said: “While our loan schemes have provided a vital lifeline to millions of firms across the country, we know that business owners need additional certainty as we head into the New Year.
“Extending government-backed loan schemes will give companies right across the UK the finance they need to support, protect and create jobs as we build back better from the pandemic.”
The Chancellor said he would review the employer contribution element of the CJRS in January, but decided to bring this forward to allow businesses to plan ahead for the remainder of the winter and the New Year.
The government will continue to pay 80% of the salary of employees for hours not worked until the end of April. Employers will only be required to pay wages, National Insurance Contributions (NICS) and pensions for hours worked; and NICS and pensions for hours not worked.
The eligibility criteria for the UK-wide scheme will remain unchanged and these changes will continue to apply to all Devolved Administrations.
Extending the scheme until the end of April means businesses across the country will have certainty about what support will be available to them.
Businesses will also be given until the end of March to access the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme. These had been due to close at the end of January.
The schemes have already provided over £68 billion in guaranteed loans, and helped to keep afloat business in all sectors of the UK economy who have been impacted by coronavirus.
We are extending the schemes now, ahead of Christmas and further into the new year, to ensure that businesses can continue to access the support they need to grow and recover.
The government has already announced that more support will be available beyond March, through a successor loan scheme. More details of the scheme will be announced in due course, with the government providing a further update on wider Covid-19 economic support at the Budget on 3 March.
The furlough and loan schemes are part of the government’s wider plan to support, create and protect jobs through its Plan for Jobs. This includes the Kickstart Scheme, more investment in training and skills as well as the Self Employment Income Support Scheme grant, with a fourth grant being made available from February to April 2021.
Commenting on yesterday’s announcement by the Chancellor that the Job Retention Scheme will be extended until April, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Unions have been pushing hard for the job retention scheme to be extended. This decision will bring some much-needed certainty for workers and businesses.
“But the threat of mass unemployment has not gone away. The government must provide additional support for the industries hit hardest by this crisis – like retail and hospitality.
“And it must create the jobs we need by investing now in jobs in green infrastructure, transport and our public services.
“Fast-tracking spending on these areas will cut unemployment and help the UK recover more quickly from this pandemic. Ministers should take this opportunity to improve the scheme, with a minimum wage floor, clear support for training and better support for the self-employed.”
On the need to help workers who lose their jobs, Frances O’Grady added: “We can’t afford for this pandemic to scar people’s prospects the way recent crises have. Ministers must help those who lose their jobs get back on their feet by providing a permanent boost to universal credit’.
Citizens of the European Union who live in Scotland are being urged to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
In an open letter and video message, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is vital that every EU citizen who wishes to stay in Scotland completes an application by 30 June, 2021.
While it is the Scottish Government’s view that EU citizens should not need to apply to protect the rights they already have to live, work and study here, the UK Government has made it a requirement.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “My message to everyone from the EU who lives and works here remains this: Scotland is your home, you are our family, and we’d be privileged if you would stay here with us.
“We are drawing close to the end of the Brexit transition period, and the end of a year in which we have together faced the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In these times of uncertainty and disruption, I would like to once again re-assure EU citizens that Scotland values you for the contribution you make to our society, our culture and our economy.
“While I don’t agree that you should have to go through an application process to secure rights that you should automatically have, I do want to ensure that you are able to stay in Scotland.
“Many EU citizens have already applied for the Settlement Scheme – but many more do still need to apply.
“My message is a simple one. Please apply. Scotland is a better place because you are living here.”
The open letter and video mark International Migrants Day, Friday 18 December.
The First Minister’s video message is available to view on @scotgov social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram from 18 December.
The open letter has been translated into Italian, Lithuanian, French, Polish, Romanian, Spanish and German, and is being made available to public and third sector stakeholders.
Stay in Scotland social media graphics have also been translated into Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, French and German.
Full text of the open letter from the First Minister:
Dear European Union citizens living in Scotland,
I wrote to you last in October 2019 at a time of considerable uncertainty leading up to our exit from the European Union. Since then all of us in Scotland and across Europe and the wider world have faced the huge challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I would like to thank you for all you have done during this time as we have faced, and continue to face, this challenge together. You are of course our friends, family and neighbours in a year when the importance of these relationships cannot be overstated.
I believe that EU citizens in Scotland should not need to apply to protect the rights you already have to live, work and study here, but nevertheless there is a requirement, however unwelcome, to apply to the UK Government’s EU Settlement Scheme.
Thankfully, many of you have now applied to the EU Settlement Scheme and secured your status. Yet many of you are still to secure your status, and I must sadly reiterate that it remains critical that everyone who wishes to stay in Scotland must complete an application by 30 June 2021. Any EU citizen who is resident in Scotland before 31 December 2020 is eligible to apply, and I encourage you to do so.
The Scottish Government’s Stay in Scotland campaign provides practical guidance and support to help you protect your rights and complete your application to the UK EU Settlement Scheme.
Working with our partners we fund an EU Citizens’ Support Service with a telephone helpline which is free to use and staffed by qualified advisors. In addition we part-fund a network of advisors in Citizen Advice Bureaux throughout Scotland.
Accurate information about your rights is crucial. That’s why the Scottish Government commissioned the human rights charity, JustRight Scotland, to produce a series of accessible guidance notes on EU citizens’ rights. These are available in six languages and will help you better understand your rights to healthcare, housing, banking and other services in Scotland after 31 December.
You can find information on all the different support available to you at mygov.scot/stayinscotland, or contact the helpline for free on 0800 916 9847.
In light of the devastating impact of the pandemic, I hope that these resources will help you understand and exercise your rights. Please use them and encourage others to do the same.
My message to you remains the same: Scotland is your home, you are welcome here, we want you to stay.
A joint statement on staying safe at Christmas from the UK Government, Scottish Government, and Welsh Government:
As we approach the festive period, the UK Government, Scottish Government, and Welsh Government are seeking to balance pragmatism with the overriding priority of protecting public health.
To do this, we have joined together to issue clear guidance and recommendations, as follows:
We know the extraordinary lengths that people have gone to this year to protect their loved ones and the NHS. We know that people want to see life return to normal. And with vaccines now being deployed, next year we are confident it will do. But to get there safely, this cannot be a normal Christmas. We must continue to work together to prevent the spread of the virus, and to protect our friends, our families and our front-line workers.
In some areas, the number of people with COVID-19 is rising rapidly, as it is in much of Europe. It is vital that we all act responsibly over Christmas to limit the risk of further transmission and keep each other as safe as possible. One in three people who have COVID-19 don’t show symptoms but can still pass on the virus.
To protect you and your loved ones, we recommend that you think very carefully about the risks of forming a bubble. Discuss alternatives to meeting up in person, or ways of meeting up outdoors instead. Only form a bubble if you feel you absolutely need to.
If you do decide you need to form a Christmas bubble, take precautions to minimise risk by stopping unnecessary social contact outside your immediate household as soon as possible, and for at least five days before you meet other households in your bubble, and by working from home if you can. On no account should you visit another household if you, or anyone in your household, is feeling unwell or is self-isolating.
Scientific advice is clear: the longer you meet others for, the higher the risk of you catching and spreading the virus. If you do intend to form a bubble, you should keep the bubble small and your visits short.
The five day period is a window of opportunity and should be seen as a legal maximum, not a target. If you do form a bubble, we recommend that you meet with it for the shortest possible time. You should not stay overnight unless absolutely unavoidable.
It is particularly important to think about the greater risks to more vulnerable people. If you are over 70 or clinically extremely vulnerable, think carefully about the risks. The safest approach may be not to form a Christmas bubble.
If you do form a Christmas bubble, then be especially careful to observe the guidance: meet outdoors where possible, wash your hands regularly, keep a distance from those you do not live with. If you meet indoors, ensure good ventilation by letting in fresh air. The clinically extremely vulnerable and the elderly will be prioritised for vaccination in the early part of next year.
If you are in an existing household or support bubble with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, think carefully. To help reduce the risks to their health, the safest approach would be to celebrate with your household or support bubble and not with others.
If you are forming a Christmas bubble you should consider carefully the risks of travelling at all. If you live in an area with the highest level of protection, for example, tier 3 in England and level 4 in Scotland, you should avoid travelling to lower prevalence areas where possible.
Each administration will issue specific travel advice based on its own circumstances. If you have to travel, book ahead to enable you and others to travel safely and plan your outward and return journeys carefully. Once you arrive you should stay local and not travel within the area.
If you form a Christmas bubble, practise safe behaviours: washing your hands, making space between members of different households wherever you can, and letting in fresh air. Following these behaviours, even within the home, will greatly reduce the risk of transmission.
We will all need to carry on practising safe behaviours after Christmas. This means shopping only if you can do so safely: shop online where you can; avoid crowds; and, if you are in crowded areas, wear a face covering and only go where it is well ventilated.
It is also really important to cut down on social contact after seeing your Christmas bubble, to reduce the risk of chains of transmission. This includes not meeting up with friends or family outside your household for New Year’s Eve. The tier or level rules will be in place on New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay and it is essential, as the minimum, that these are followed by everyone.
By taking these steps together, we can all enjoy a safer Christmas.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has joined with the leaders of the UK Government and the Welsh Government in issuing guidance on how the public should approach Christmas celebrations this year.
The First Minister has stressed that the strong recommendation of the Scottish Government to people across Scotland is to celebrate Christmas this year within your own household and in your own home – and as far as possible to keep any interaction with other households to a minimum. This is by far the safest way to spend this Christmas and keep your loved ones safe.
However, certain flexibilities were agreed in recognition of the impact of loneliness over Christmas on wellbeing and the fact that some people will not be willing to leave loved ones alone.
These provide a window of opportunity and should be seen as legal maximum to work well within. The guidance being issued seeks to reduce risks as far as possible for anyone choosing to use these flexibilities.
The First Minister stressed that the following key points should be taken into consideration by anyone choosing to spend time with other households indoors: keep the duration of any interaction as short as possible: keep any bubble as small as possible; avoid travel and overnight stays unless unavoidable; and comply with all distancing and hygiene advice.
She said: “Our strong advice this Christmas is to stay at home with your own household. Any interaction with other households should, as far as possible, be outdoors. That is the best way of keeping yourself and your loved ones safe this Christmas.
However, we recognize that in some cases, the isolation caused by being alone over Christmas will in itself cause harm to people’s welfare and that is why we have created a window of flexibility with accompanying guidance, to ensure that any household mixing is done as safely as possible,
“If you choose to form a bubble over the Christmas period, then you should take into consideration these key points:
“First, minimise the number of people in the bubble – while three households is the legal maximum, our recommendation is that two households would be better, and you should keep as far within the maximum of eight people over the age of 12 as you can. In short, the smaller the bubble is, the better and safer it will be.
“Second, you should minimise the time spent with your bubble, especially indoors. The five days is a window of opportunity, not a recommended time that it is safe for you to spend together – indeed, the Scottish Government recommends that you do not meet up with people in your bubble on any more than one day over the period and do not stay overnight unless it is unavoidable. And you should minimise the distance you intend to travel.
“You should also avoid all travel between high prevalence areas and low prevalence areas – in particular, that means avoiding travel to or from Scotland and Tier 3 areas in England, and to or from any Level 4 areas in Scotland (of which there are currently none).
The First Minister concluded: “Being asked not to see loved ones at Christmas unless absolutely essential is one of the toughest things imaginable. But, this year, it is essential to help keep people safe.
“With a vaccination programme now underway, a return to more normal life is on the horizon – and I hope that the prospect of brighter days ahead will help all of us get through this difficult Christmas as safely as possible.”
PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON’S CORONVIRUS UPDATE STATEMENT
‘So have yourselves a merry little Christmas – and I’m afraid this year I do mean little’
It is just a week since the United Kingdom began the biggest vaccination programme in our history.
And the public is coming forward at an extraordinary pace to get a jab, to protect themselves, beginning with the elderly and the most vulnerable.
With 138,000 recipients of the first dose – and more joining them every minute – there is no doubt we are winning and we will win our long struggle against this virus which makes it all the more important that we hold our nerve this winter.
Because we are now in a race to protect us all while doing everything we can to keep the virus under control.
And thanks to the colossal collective effort in November we did bring the R below 1; we did get the infection rate down.
But I must be frank with you – we are already seeing worrying rises in some parts of the country: Kent is still seeing rising infections; the number of cases in London is at 270 per 100,000 people. And that’s why we acted quickly by moving London into Tier 3 from today.
And tomorrow (Thursday) the Health Secretary will announce the outcome of the latest tiering review.
And so like every other European country facing similar challenges we have come to this moment, a great global festival – a turning point, a time of year that is of immense emotional and spiritual importance.
But also a moment for us to exercise extreme caution when we must remember that one of the most striking features of this virus is that it spreads invisibly from people who don’t even have symptoms which is in fact around 1 in 3 of everyone infected.
And that’s why from the beginning this virus has been so hard to fight and that’s why it’s so important to follow the rules – and why this Christmas it’s vital that everyone exercises the greatest possible personal responsibility.
And having looked at the latest data – with our colleagues in the Devolved Administrations, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we have decided that the overall situation is, alas, worse and more challenging than we had hoped when we first set the rules.
So while it would not be right to criminalise people who have made plans and simply want to spend time with their loved ones, we are all collectively across the UK, governments at every level, asking you to think hard and in detail about the days ahead and whether you can do more to protect yourself and others.
We are keeping the laws the same – but we all want to send the same message: a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas, and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas.
When we say three households can meet on five days, I want to stress these are maximums, not targets to aim for.
And of course it is always going to be safest to minimise the number of people you meet.
And that means that if you are visiting others over Christmas, we are asking you – in the five days beforehand, as early as this Friday – to reduce the number of people you are in contact with to the lowest possible, because this virus spreads from human contact.
If possible don’t travel from a high prevalence to a low prevalence area and avoid staying away from home overnight if you can.
Remember, the vaccine is on the way and our aim is to inoculate everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable or elderly in the early months of next year.
So if you’re elderly, the best way to minimise your personal risk is to wait to be vaccinated before spending time indoors with others.
And if you have an elderly relative, you might want to delay seeing them until they’ve been vaccinated.
And whatever your plans for Christmas, please think carefully about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day Sales
And no one should be gathering in large groups to see in the New Year – remember the rules in your local area will apply.
In most places across the UK, I’m afraid that means you cannot mix with other households indoors.
All the information about how best to protect yourself and your loved ones is being made available on gov.uk.
So have yourselves a merry little Christmas – And I’m afraid this year I do mean little
But with the vaccine, and all the other measures that we are taking, we do know things will be better in this country by Easter. And I’m sure that next year Christmas will be as normal for every family in the country.
“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.”
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has selected the winner of his annual Christmas card competition, which he has been running since his election to the Scottish Parliament in 2016.
This year’s Christmas Card theme was NHS Scotland, to honour frontline workers who have worked incredibly hard throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
The competition was open to all primary schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians, and Elsie Adams age 8, from P4 at St Peter’s Primary School in Morningside, was chosen as the winner.
Elsie won £50 Amazon voucher (sponsored by Morrison Construction), afternoon tea at the Caledonian (sponsored by Waldorf Astoria) and a family day out at Conifox Adventure Park (sponsored by Conifox).
Miles was unable to present Elsie with her prize in person due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“There were some very creative Christmas cards this year and pupils in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s once again showed their artistic talent.
“The competition was very close with hundreds of Christmas card entries from primary schools across the region, with inventive designs from hand sanitiser to the distinctive NHS rainbow.
“What was clear from the entries was that primary school pupils are aware of the tremendous effort that NHS staff have made throughout this year.
“Congratulations to the winner Elsie, whose bright card and fun design stood out as the winner of my 2020 Christmas card competition.”
GUIDANCE FOR PEOPLE IN EDINBURGH SELF-ISOLATING UPDATED FROM MONDAY
MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, has welcomed the announcement that the Scottish Government’s self-isolation payment will not be impacted, following an update that anyone required to self-isolate will need to do so for 10 days, rather than 14 days.
The £500 grant – which will not be reduced as a result of the updated clinical guidance – is for those who will face financial hardship due to being asked to self-isolate and will be targeted at people who are in receipt of Universal Credit or legacy benefits.
The four chief medical officers of the UK announced on Friday that close contacts of a positive case and those returning from countries without a travel corridor will be able to self-isolate for 10 days instead of the current 14 days from Monday.
SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “Self-isolation, both for contacts identified by Test and Protect and through the foreign travel quarantine requirements, is critical to protecting people and reducing the spread of COVID-19.
“While self-isolation may now be for a shorter period, it remains vital that everyone who is required to do so remains at their home or other named address for this time. Only by doing this can we break the chain of transmission of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.
“To ensure people do not experience financial hardship as a result of doing the right thing, the SNP Government has ensured that the £500 grant for people on low incomes who have been asked to self-isolate will not change.
“I’d urge everyone in Edinburgh who is facing a loss of income due to self-isolating to apply for this payment.”
The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee has indicated it will support the general principles of the Hate Crime Bill on condition it is amended in line with recommendations the Committee is unanimously making. The committee’s recommendations build on, but go further than, the commitments already made by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to make changes to the Bill.
The Justice Committee has concluded that further changes should be made to the Bill to ensure that those making comments which others find offensive are not criminalised, while still robustly tackling those perpetrating hate crimes.
The Committee has unanimously concluded as follows:
For behaviour to be considered “abusive” under the Bill, prosecutors must be required to show that a ‘reasonable person’ would consider the behaviour to be abusive, setting a higher bar for prosecution;
The Bill’s provisions safeguarding free speech must be deepened and strengthened;
The ‘reasonableness’ defence available to a person charged with a stirring-up offence must be clarified.
The Committee also agreed that while there should not be an absolute defence against prosecution for acts in private homes, people should be allowed to express their own, perhaps offensive, views within their own home or other private space without fear of investigation or prosecution.
It has therefore called on the Scottish Government to find a way to amend the Bill that better reflects its view around ‘stirring up’ offences having a public element to them.
The Committee welcomed the appointment of Baroness Helena Kennedy QC to chair a working group on misogynistic harassment, and has called on the working group to report within a year to avoid further significant delay. However, any legislative change that is recommended by this group should be subject to the fullest possible parliamentary scrutiny.
Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener, Adam Tomkins MSP, said:“Balancing freedom of expression and legislating to ensure hateful actions can be prosecuted is a difficult task.
“The Committee is grateful for the wealth and variety of evidence we heard, and hope we have reflected, in our report. We also welcome the Cabinet Secretary taking the unusual step of accepting that his Bill required amendment before we began our scrutiny.
“We believe that, if amended in line with our unanimous recommendations, this Bill should be fit to protect the communities it affords extra protections to, without encroaching on the ability of citizens to have robust debates, hold views others find unpalatable, and express themselves freely.
“It is a testament to the open-mindedness of all Members to have found such consensus on what has undoubtedly been a contentious piece of legislation.”
The Committee’s call for views received an unprecedented response, with almost 2,000 submissions. A release about this and the Bill timetable is set out in this release.
The Committee heard oral evidence from almost 40 stakeholder organisations.
The Government should use the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) to encourage more workers to self-isolate at home – a key part of the strategy to fight Covid-19 that the current sick pay regime is failing to support – according to new research published by the Resolution Foundation.
The report – Time Out – explores the eligibility, generosity and efficacy of the UK’s statutory sick pay regime and Test and Trace payments during the Covid-19 crisis, and considers the case for reform.
It concludes that with self-isolating continuing to play a crucial role in fighting Covid-19 throughout 2021 as the vaccine is rolled-out, and with the Head of Test and Trace Dido Harding admitting that financial difficulty means some people are refusing to self-isolate, the current system needs to be replaced with a more effective regime.
The report notes that the main support available for employees asked to self-isolate at home is Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). But at just £96 a week, SSP offers the lowest level of Government support provided across any advanced economy during the pandemic. SSP replaces less than a quarter of a typical employee’s previous earnings, compared to an OECD average replacement rate of 60 per cent.
Furthermore, two million employees earning less than £120 a week are not eligible for SSP – a barrier that excludes one-in-four part-time workers, and one-in-seven workers in retail, hospitality and leisure – leaving them with no income at all if they self-isolate at home.
The UK Government has implicitly acknowledged the limitations of SSP by introducing £500 Test and Trace Support Payments (TTSP) for individuals entitled to benefits.
However, the report finds that these more generous payments are not reaching enough people, with only one-in-eight workers entitled to them. For example, data supplied by local authorities across West Yorkshire – an area which has had one of the highest infection rates in the UK over recent months – showed that just 1,783 payments have been made between 12 October and 25 November.
With financial support for self-isolating at home playing a critical role in helping to bring Covid infections down, the report calls for a more effective, generous and easy to deliver support regime to be put in place – using the JRS, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
The Foundation proposes the following support:
Employees to be paid via the JRS. Extending the JRS to include self-isolation payments would ensure workers retained 80 per cent of their previous earnings. The Foundation estimates this would cost £426 million a month (up from around £112 million which is spent on SSP) if 643,000 employees used the scheme.
Self-employed workers to be paid pro-rata via the SEISS. Grants of up £830 should be awarded to self-employed workers who need to self-isolate for ten days, if they haven’t already claimed.
Self-employed workers not entitled to SEISS to be paid via enhanced ESA. The many self-employed workers not eligible for the SEISS are entitled to ESA. This payment should be uprated by £20 to £96 a week – in line with the uprating of Universal Credit – while people are asked to self-isolate.
The Foundation adds that while the following package of measures would help to get Covid infections down, the failure of the UK’s sick pay regime should not be forgotten once the pandemic has passed. Permanent reforms to both its eligibility, generosity and operation will be needed, it says.
Maja Gustafsson, Researcher at the Resolution Foundation, said:“Getting people to self-isolate at home is one of the important tools we have in combatting Covid-19. But asking workers to do that often involves a major financial sacrifice – and the UK’s sick pay regime has been woefully inadequate in providing the necessary support. Many more Covid infections will have taken place as a result.
“Coronavirus vaccines will take many months to roll out, so more workers will need to self-isolate at home to contain the spread of the virus next year. Given the failure of the current sick pay regime, the Government must turn now to the far more successful job support schemes to provide workers and firms with the financial support they need to do the right thing.”
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady commented: “The lack of decent sick pay has been a gaping hole in the government’s Covid strategy. Asking workers to self-isolate on £96 a week is not viable – especially when many don’t have savings to fall back on.”
She warned: “This problem needs fixing urgently. Until people are given sick pay they can survive on they will be forced to choose between following the health advice and paying their bills. Nobody should be plunged into financial hardship for doing the right thing.
“Sick pay should be raised to at least the rate of the real living wage and everyone should be entitled to it. It’s not right that two million workers are excluded from it because they do not earn enough.”
TUC polling published in September revealed that more than 4 in 10 workers would be plunged into financial hardship if forced to self-isolate for two weeks on SSP.
There has been much posturing, many false dawns and plenty manufactured fury over the last many months concerning the negotiation of a deal (or not) to govern the UK’s trade with the world’s biggest and most integrated market which just happens to be on our doorstep, the EU.
But whether it’s a Deal or No Deal, future trading with what is easily our biggest trading partner will become much more difficult following the end of Transition on 31 January. Even the Bank of England, not known for expressing extreme opinions, has said that the hit to the UK economy over the medium term will be worse than that caused by the Covid pandemic.
The damage has already been done. For some, that is a price worth paying but not for the majority of Scots, and not, if the polls are to be believed, for the majority across the UK either now.
But regardless, the damage is done. That is the real point. The UK is out of the EU. Relationships have been damaged in the process, and not just trading relationships. The locks on the doors are about to be changed. The weather is growing colder while the UK is outside and is no longer trusted by those who might once have given shelter.
So where do we go from here? How do we rebuild? Well a reasonable place to start might be to better understand what others think about us after all the recent sound and fury. Plenty of uninformed opinion is thrown about every night on TV by “spokesmen” who see mainly an opportunity to further their particular agendas.
Is it time to hear from some non-politicians? Real people who live in European cities and who know what is going on in their respective countries?
The European Movement in Scotland certainly thinks so and is organising a webinar on 14th December with experts from Rome, Berlin, Brussels and Edinburgh to explore how Europeans now think about the UK and Scotland.
