Tag: WWF Scotland

Green Home Festival: WWF poll shows there is “real appetite for change”

Organisers of the upcoming Green Home Festival say the results of a recent survey show that there is “very real appetite for change” among Scottish homeowners looking to make their homes more eco-friendly.

The team behind the week-long renewables jamboree have welcomed a new poll by environment organisation WWF Scotland which says that the majority of Scots support moves to phase out the use of fossil fuel boilers in existing homes.

And the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) says the survey’s other findings demonstrate “an encouraging willingness to commit to a green future ” – and have urged homeowners to convert their enthusiasm into action at its upcoming event.

In the survey published on Monday 31 July by WWF Scotland, more than half of those asked said they would support the introduction of Scottish Government policies to phase out fossil fuel boilers.

In addition, 65% said they believed there should be new rules for better insulation in existing homes at vital moments, such as buying or selling a property. Other findings included:

  • 40% of respondents said they would consider installing a heat pump as an alternative to a fossil fuel boiler within the next five years.
  • 57% would be willing to purchase a heat pump with some or no government support.
  • 71% are aware of the negative impact of oil and gas boilers have on climate change.
  • 80% believe higher oil and gas prices contribute to inflation and higher cost of living.

Green Home Festival co-organiser Fiona Hodgson, who is CEO of plumbing and heating association SNIPEF, said: “These findings show there is a very real appetite for change among homeowners, who are aware of the importance of climate change and want to help Scotland build towards net zero.

“It’s particularly pleasing to see so many people recognising the need to move away from fossil fuels and embrace cleaner energy sources, and also encouraging to see that two-thirds of those polled want better insulation rules enforced.   

“The upcoming Green Home Festival supports these ideas wholeheartedly and will be offering practical demonstrations of how we can make them become a reality as we aim to build a more sustainable future, one home at a time.”

Kicking off on Monday 14 August in Edinburgh, the second Green Home Festival will deliver 11 free shows on low-carbon living as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Topics will include how to reduce energy bills, preparing for heat pumps, community heating networks, creating sustainable kitchens, green garden rooms and offices, making retrofit projects eco-friendly, converting churches and how the home of the future will be powered.

Live Green Home Festival sessions will once again take place at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) at 10 Charlotte Square in central Edinburgh, with contributions from the likes of Home Energy Scotland, Scottish Water, SNIPEF and SELECT.

John McKinney, co-organiser of the Green Home Festival and Secretary of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, added: “Scotland has already taken its first steps down the path to a more low-carbon future, but we still have a long way to go. However, the results of this survey show that people are aware of the need to make real and lasting change.

“Attending the Green Home Festival and taking on board the wealth of free advice from our experts will help homeowners take their next steps as we harness the power of renewables and move to a more sustainable way of living.”

The festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Made up of 28 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.

  • Full details, including how to book tickets for each event, are available on the Festival’s website at greenhomefestival.co.uk.

Charities invite public to join biggest ever conversation about nature

Eighty three per cent of adults in Scotland believe nature is under threat and urgently needs more done to protect and restore it, according to polling from the RSPB Scotland and WWF Scotland.

The majority have seen a decline in nature and wildlife in their local areas; with close to half (47%) expressing a willingness to take action themselves to avert a nature crisis.  However 39% don’t feel empowered to do so. 

The results come as three of the UK’s biggest conservation charities join forces with celebrity champions Maisie Williams and Cel Spellman to launch the People’s Plan for Nature, inviting the nation to have its say on how the UK solves the ongoing nature crisis.

Through both a UK-wide conversation and the first ever citizens’ assembly for nature, the charities are inviting the public to share their ideas and together develop a set of public demands to tackle the nature crisis – calling on the leaders of all four nations to take action before it’s too late. 

The charities feel the time is ripe for co-creating a proposal for nature’s recovery as the polling shows that the people in Scotland already would like to see improvements in their local areas, including: 

  • more action for cleaner rivers, waterways and seas (49%), 
  • more protection for nature in the planning and housebuilding system (33%) 
  • strengthened legal protection for nature, wildlife, and habitats (36%).

People from Scotland and the rest of the UK can submit their thoughts on the future of nature in the UK on peoplesplanfornature.org by the 30th October.

The charities have also partnered with Future Art Centres (a network of independent cultural centres across the UK) to help facilitate the nationwide conversation. The public will be invited to add their ideas to specially-designed tree installations at 30 Art Centres around the country.

The trees can be found at venues including Eden Court in Inverness, Lyth Arts Centre in Caithness, Lairg Learning Centre, Pearce Institute in Glasgow, and Glasgow Science Centre.

The two charity chiefs, Lang Banks (WWF Scotland) and Anne McCall (RSPB Scotland) said in a joint statement: “This summer saw Scotland experience record-breaking temperatures and adverse weather conditions that caused drought conditions, wildfires, and other harm to its nature and wildlife.

“Extreme heat led to fears of crop loss, contributing to the cost of living crisis everyone is experiencing. The twin nature and climate crises affect everyone, so everyone should be involved in the conversation about how we address them. 

“The majority of people in Scotland say they have witnessed a decline in nature and wildlife in their local areas, according to the polling: 62% in the amount and variety of insects they see including butterflies and bumblebees and 54% in birds; 57% in the number of mammal sightings such as hedgehogs, badgers and otters and 53% in green spaces such as parks and woodlands. And many have seen this decline in some form in the last five years alone (60%).

The reality may be even worse than people think; in the five decades since consistent scientific monitoring began, there has been a 24% decline in average species abundance across monitored wildlife in Scotland.

The 2019 State of Nature Scotland report reveals that 49% of Scottish species have decreased, and that of the 6,413 species found in Scotland that have been assessed, 11% are threatened with extinction.

A representative group of 100 people from across the UK will come together as a citizens’ assembly to develop a set of recommendations to help and restore nature in the UK, starting in November this year. The leading charities are also bringing in celebrity champions to support the campaign, starting with Maisie Williams and Cel Spellman.

Emmy-nominated actor, activist, and producer Maisie Williams said: “The People’s Plan for Nature is the chance for all of us to come together and fight for nature before it is too late.

“I am so excited to join this vital conversation and play a part in protecting and restoring the wildlife that means so much to me and countless others. For me, it’s about birdsong – it always reminds me of home, and I’m scared that I will wake up one day and won’t be able to hear it anymore.

“We must act now – and the most powerful thing we can do is use our voices, collectively. So let’s join this fight together and bring our nature back to life.”

Actor, presenter and activist Cel Spellman: “The People’s Plan for Nature gives us a rare opportunity to unite and bring about desperately needed change for our natural world.

“We have all turned to and appreciated nature like never before in the last few years. For me, spending time immersed in the natural world is my medicine, it’s good for the soul, body and mind. Yet the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. 

“Nature needs us now more than ever, and this is the time for us all to stand up, take action and use our voices to protect and restore our precious wildlife species, ecosystems and environment. Together we can make a real difference.”

Mariyah, aged 10 from Glasgow: “I’m super excited about the launch of The People’s Plan for Nature as I love getting outdoors and having fun with my friends and family. Nature and the outdoors just makes me so happy and I wish that we can all enjoy the beautiful nature that we have in Scotland throughout our whole lives!”

The People’s Plan for Nature will give a voice to everyone to share their ideas, asking the public: “what do you love about nature in the UK? What would you miss if it disappeared?” to get their feedback on how to thwart the nature crisis and to understand what people would like to see for the future of UK nature and wildlife.

Scottish Water launches Nature Calls environmental campaign

#BinWipes

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Scotland is being urged to bin all wipes – and ban wipes containing plastic – in a major new campaign to help protect the environment.

Scottish Water is asking the public to join forces to avoid sewer blockages, flooding, and pollution by consigning wipes to the bin.

And it is also calling on governments north and south of the border to work together to ban wipes made with plastic.

The new nationwide campaign – Nature Calls – is backed by a range of other organisations, including the Marine Conservation Society, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Zero Waste Scotland.

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Douglas Millican, Scottish Water Chief Executive, said: “Our message to our customers is clear: please bin the wipes and help us protect the environment.

“And to policymakers we say now is the time to ban all wipes containing plastic and rid our sewers, rivers and beaches of this needless problem. Last year, more than 10,000 tonnes of material – the equivalent of 80 blue whales – was removed from Scotland’s waste water plants.

“Many thousands of tonnes more ended up blocking sewers, causing flooding, or being flushed into rivers during storms and heavy rain. Research by the Marine Conservation Society shows that wipes are now the most common cause of beach pollution.

“Wipes are an understandable convenience item – but many contain plastic, that cause serious problems when disposed of inappropriately by flushing down the toilet – blocked sewers, homes flooded with sewage, and pollution on our beaches and rivers.

“Every year our teams deal with around 36,000 blockages at a cost to customers of £7 million annually and around 80 per cent of the blockages we attend feature wipes. Members of the public, communities, campaigners, manufacturers, retailers and governments must all work together to do the right thing for nature now and for generations to come.”

The Nature Calls campaign was launched at Cramond this morning supported by Scottish Water volunteers taking part in a beach clean.

The campaign will feature adverts on multiple channels through February and March.

More information is available at www.jointhewave.scot

Nature Calls wipes

Wipes at Paisley Water Treatment Works

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “The actions we take at home can help protect Scotland’s world-renowned rivers, lochs, wetlands and seas.

“Flushing inappropriate items contributes to serious blockages in our sewers, unsightly debris in our rivers and can cause great harm to our marine environment; by being aware of this and changing our habits we can all help protect our precious, rivers seas and wildlife.

“Every year, hundreds of millions of pieces of single-use plastic are wasted in this country – they litter our coasts, pollute our oceans and contribute to the climate emergency. Scotland was the first country in the UK to ban plastic-stemmed cotton buds and we have taken action to place market restrictions on plastic microbeads.

“We are pursuing proposals to ban some of the most problematic single-use plastic items, such as straws and plastic cutlery, subject to the impact of the UK Internal Market Act 2020.

“We support the calls to ban wet wipes containing plastic and encourage the UK Government and other administrations to work with us to bring forward bans on unnecessary and environmentally harmful products.”

A wide range of organisations have voiced support for Nature Calls.

Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society, said: “A staggering 30,000 wet wipes have been picked up by our volunteers right here on Cramond beach over the last five years. It’s not just a problem here though. At last year’s Great British Beach Clean we found an average of 25 wet wipes for every 100m of Scottish beach surveyed. 

“Our toilets can still sadly be gateways to the ocean which is why incorrectly flushed items like plastic wet wipes can be found on beaches across Scotland. We need to stop plastic items, like wet wipes, getting into the sewer system and out in the ocean.

“That’s why we’re supporting the Nature Calls campaign to ban plastic wet wipes and help reduce the number of wipes mis-flushed. Show your support for wet wipe free beaches and seas by supporting the campaign too!”

Keep Scotland Beautiful Chief Executive Barry Fisher said: “I’m delighted to see Scottish Water highlighting this important issue, encouraging everyone to be more conscious of the environmental impact of plastic wipes.

“We want doing the right thing for our environment to be easy and possible for everyone – including manufacturers finding affordable alternatives to plastic free wipes. This will make sure that industry contributes to the future without wipes that clog up our waterways and oceans, harming wildlife and permanently changing our environment.

“Scotland is facing a climate and litter emergency, so action to find affordable solutions to plastic free wipes is needed to protect the future of our country. This campaign will help industry and individuals to understand that their actions can and do make a difference.”

Zero Waste Scotland Chief Executive Iain Gulland said: “It is great to see campaigns like this become more prominent in tackling the urgent problem of single-use items. At Zero Waste Scotland, we understand just how important it is to ban single-use plastic – and single-use items in general. 

“We champion more sustainable ways of operating, which is why we love to see efforts, like Nature Calls from Scottish Water, grabbing attention and encouraging us all to think about our throw-away culture. Each time we choose to reuse we are one step closer to a more circular economy that will help alleviate Scotland’s contribution to the climate crisis.”

Simon Jones, Director of Environment and Visitor Services at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, said: “Our lochs and rivers are a crucial part of what makes the National Park, and Scotland, such a special place. Not only beautiful to look at and enjoy, but these water bodies are also vital wildlife habitats and keeping them as healthy as possible helps us tackle both the climate and nature crises.

“Sadly, wipes can get into these water bodies causing harm to water quality, wildlife, and their beauty. We consider them a form of pollution and therefore we are supporting the call for wipes containing plastic to be banned and urge everyone to do their bit by never flushing wipes.”

Lang Banks, Director, WWF Scotland, said: “At every step in its lifecycle, even long after it has been discarded, plastic causes harm to wildlife and contributes to the climate crisis we’re facing today.

“If we’re to stop climate change and eliminate plastic pollution from our oceans, we need to rapidly phase out unnecessary single-use plastics and that includes a ban on wipes made with plastic.”

David Field, CEO of the Royal Zoological Society Scotland, said: “At RZSS we’re inspiring and enabling our visitors and communities to do their bit to protect our planet and the wildlife we share it with. We want to make it as easy as possible to be a champion for nature. 

“We’re supporting the Nature Calls campaign because one of the simplest actions we can each take is to stop putting wet wipes and plastic products down our drains and we agree that wipes containing plastic should be banned.

“Not only does flushing these items cause flooding and pollution as they block and break pipes, but they end up littering our beaches and oceans and killing wildlife.”