Help us ensure that climate action is funded in Scotland

Scotland has a world-leading climate change act with ambitious but achievable targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2020 and 2050. But these can only be achieved if public money finances our transition to a low carbon society.

In order to meet the first target, eight years from now, the next Scottish budget must properly fund action to cut Scotland’s carbon emissions.

As the next budget is being prepared, WDM Scotland is working with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland on a campaign to make sure that public funding for action on climate change is given priority.

What we would like you to do

If you live in the following constituencies then your MSP is an important decision-maker in the budget process. We need your help.

Click on the link to your constituency to join this Stop Climate Chaos Scotland e-mail campaign:

• Aberdeen South and North Kincardine: Maureen Watt MSP, Convenor of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee
   
• Airdrie and Shotts: Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment
   
• Caithness, Sutherland & Ross: Rob Gibson MSP, Convenor of the Rural Affairs, Environment and Climate Change Committee
   
• Clackmannanshire and Dunblane:Keith Brown MSP, Minister for Transport and Housing
   
• Cunninghame North:Kenny Gibson MSP, Convenor of the Finance Committee
   
• Lothians region :Gavin Brown MSP, Convenor of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
   
• Perthshire North:John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth

If your MSP is not listed here
 

Please still write to them asking them to do all they can to ensure that action on climate change in Scotland is fully funded.

When writing to your MSP please also ask them to support the development of a Scottish international climate adaptation fund.

What to write: the Scottish international climate adaptation fund
 

Scotland has derived huge economic benefits from its emissions of greenhouse gases and its exports of fossil fuels. But that has come at a price to countries more vulnerable than ours to the impact of climate change. A Scottish international climate adaptation fund would help redress Scotland’s climate debt by helping some of the poorest countries in the world adapt to the effects of climate change.

Please ask your MSPs to support this, and to ask John Swinney to publish a consultation paper on it as soon as possible.

Background

Scotland has got rich on an economy built on fossil fuels. But that has come at a price, as the emissions of greenhouse gases has led to some of the poorest countries in the world suffering the worst impacts of climate change. We have made more than our fair share of pollution, and now owe a debt of action to the countries that are suffering the results. This is our climate debt.

Meeting the 42% emissions reduction target is an essential part of redressing our climate debt in Scotland. Another important part of redressing the debt is funding for adaption to climate change for developing countries.

In 2009, WDM Scotland was proud to be part of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition that lobbied for the world-leading Climate Change (Scotland) Act. The Act has targets of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2020.

A climate change action plan has been published by the Scottish government recently but it must be properly funded in the next Scottish budget if Scotland is to have any chance of reaching its 2020 target.