Latest news with #ClimateChangePlan
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Warning for Scotland as report finds time running out to limit climate change
On Thursday, top scientists warned that the Earth could breach the 1.5C global warming limit in as little as three years. It comes as the Scottish Government published its carbon budgets plan, a replacement for net-zero targets that were not reached. Campaigners described the move as a 'weakening' of climate policy. With the new climate change plan draft due later this year and only one full parliamentary term left before the Holyrood 2026 elections, campaigners have criticised the Scottish Government's 'slowing' approach to tackling climate issues. READ MORE: SNP councillor forces Labour to take action against Israeli arms sales Rising temperatures in Scotland could have a devastating impact on communities, with increasing risks of flooding, rising sea levels and coastal erosion, or dry hot weather causing sweeping wildfires and water scarcity. Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said: 'We're going to be having the new Climate Change Plan published in draft form in autumn that will cover from 2026 through to 2040. 'The near term of that is going to be absolutely critical, which means, you know, the next Scottish Parliament will make or break Scotland's ambitions to achieve net zero by 2045. 'But we will stand no chance of delivering that unless the Climate Change plan is backed up by meaningful investment.' Livingstone (below) added that the 'richest and biggest polluters are driving the climate crisis' and should have to pay up. 'If we don't invest now, then it will cost us much more down the line to respond to that,' he said. He added: 'What people don't want in Scotland is any more hollow climate promises. We've kind of been there, we've done that, that undermines public confidence. 'Actually what we need to see is near term action, properly financed and delivered in a way that is genuinely fair. That's what people in Scotland want to see going into the Scottish elections and throughout the next parliament.' Meanwhile, Rosie Hampton, oil and gas campaigns manager at Friends of the Earth (FoE) Scotland, also argued that companies who have 'contributed vastly' to the climate crisis should be made to pay. She said: 'I think if people felt like there was a clearer sense of who's coughing up and who's actually going to save money, I think people would feel a lot more confident that measures to address the climate crisis actually can save them money and improve people's lives. READ MORE: Scottish Labour drop below Alba and Greens in Highlands by-election 'There's that kind of absence of Scottish Government and political will to say - this is who's paying for it, because this is how you've contributed. People fill in the gaps and they think, well, I'm going to have to have to pay for it. 'That's not a just transition, it's not fair, because why should ordinary people be forced to bear the brunt of it? 'It's a legitimate concern. It should be big industry, who have profited off oil and gas and things like that for a long time when communities haven't seen the benefit.' 'We need to see a serious level of ambition and a recognition of just how much needs to change,' Hampton added. Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie told The National he had concerns that the Scottish Government's 'policy response is getting weaker' while the 'pace of warming is getting more alarming'. 'It's not just about the SNP, it's about our whole political landscape,' Harvie said. He said that when the party started talks with former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, that would later lead to the Bute House Agreement, Scotland was already missing its climate targets and needed to 'accelerate'. 'That means we need to do some of the politically difficult stuff, the easy stuff's all been done,' Harvie added. (Image: PA) 'If we're not going to be politically able to do the more challenging things, that means changing the way we move about, that means changing the way we heat our homes. It means changing agriculture as well and giving rural communities a viable way forward that isn't high carbon. If we're not willing to do those things, then we fail.' The MSP added that he was 'disturbed' by the Scottish Government refusing to accept certain recommendations from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) in its carbon budget plan. The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
The National
4 days ago
- Business
- The National
Scottish Government accused of 'sidelining' climate action
Under former first minister Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Government announced plans to abandon the interim target of reducing emissions by 75 per cent by the end of the decade, accepting the goal was 'out of reach', but remaining committed to reaching net zero by 2045. Instead, ministers pledged a five-yearly cycle of carbon budgets, which aim to wind down emission more steadily and be more resistant to outside forces like unseasonable cold snaps driving up heating demand. Climate Change Secretary Gillian Martin stressed Scotland will not 'sacrifice people's health or wealth' to reach net zero. READ MORE: John Swinney tears into 'weak man' Anas Sarwar at FMQs However, climate campaigners criticised the move and said ministers were 'slowing down' action to tackle climate change. The Scottish Greens also criticised the announcement, and said the SNP were 'shying away' from taking action. According to the Scottish Government's proposals, between 2026 and 2030 emissions should be 57 per cent lower than the 1990 baseline – 18 points lower than the initial target. The target between 2031 and 2025 is a 68 per cent reduction from the baseline, and 80 per cent for the following five years. By 2041 to 2045, the final years of the plan, emissions should have reduced by 94 per cent, with the aim remaining for Scotland to reach net zero by this time. (Image: Andrew Milligan) The Scottish Government has said the remaining 6 per cent would amount to around 24 mega tonnes of carbon emissions. 'Scotland is now halfway to our 2045 climate change target and is ahead of the UK as a whole in reducing long-term emissions,' Martin said. 'These carbon budgets will set clear limits on emissions for the coming decades in line with the independent advice of the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC). 'When we publish our draft Climate Change Plan later this year, it will set out the policies needed to continue to reduce our emissions and meet our first three carbon budget targets.' Martin added that the plan 'will not ask the impossible of people'. READ MORE: Israeli strikes kill 72 Palestinians, 29 waiting for aid trucks 'While we welcome the UK CCC's advice on how to stay within these limits, as they make clear, it is always for Scotland to decide whether those policies are right for us,' she said. 'This means, for example, that we will chart our own path on forestry, going further than the CCC suggest.' She added that the Scottish Government won't adopt the CC recommendations on agriculture and peatland and instead 'meet our targets in a way which works for rural Scotland, including supporting and protecting our iconic livestock industries'. The budgets will be voted on by MSPs and, if passed, will be used to inform the plan. The announcement was welcomed by WWF Scotland, but the group urged the Government to commit to 'strong action' to meet the targets. Claire Daly, the group's head of policy and advocacy, said: 'Future generations cannot afford any more missed climate targets, and this carbon budget must be set for success with strong policies to reduce emissions.' Climate campaigners Friends of the Earth (FoE) Scotland said the Scottish Government's announcement showed ministers 'slowing down at precisely the moment we should be speeding up'. Caroline Rance, head of campaigns, said: 'The Scottish Government is in this dire position because of years of insufficient action by Ministers to tackle the climate crisis. 'The original climate targets could and should have been met. This lack of political will continues in Cabinet with a host of key plans and policies sidelined in the past year.' READ MORE: Why won't the BBC report on Israel's nuclear weapons? Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: 'This is a deeply troubling announcement from the SNP, and takes us another step away from evidence-based climate policy. 'We've known for years that ambitious targets alone aren't enough to tackle the climate emergency, but that means we should be ramping up action to protect our planet, not watering down the targets.' 'We are in a climate emergency, and we need to start acting like it, so that future generations don't look back and ask why Scotland abandoned them when we had the opportunity to fix things,' he added.
STV News
4 days ago
- Business
- STV News
New carbon budgets outlined to replace net zero targets
The Scottish Government has unveiled new carbon budget proposals to replace its net zero climate targets. Ministers have pledged a five-yearly cycle of carbon budgets, which aim to wind down emission more steadily and be more resistant to outside forces like unseasonable cold snaps driving up heating demand. If the new carbon budgets are approved by MSPs in the autumn, they will set 'clear' legal limits on emissions in Scotland for the next two decades. The proposals come less than a year after MSPs voted to scrap the Scottish Government's last legally-binding climate targets. Under former first minister Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Government announced plans to abandon the interim target of reducing emissions by 75% by the end of the decade, accepting the goal was 'out of reach', but remaining committed to reaching net zero by 2045. The Scottish Government's climate action and energy secretary Gillian Martin said the new climate goals will 'not ask the impossible of people'. 'When we publish our draft Climate Change Plan later this year, it will set out the policies needed to continue to reduce our emissions and meet our first three carbon budget targets,' she said. 'It will not ask the impossible of people. We will not sacrifice people's health or wealth.' Between 2026 and 2030, according to the Scottish Government's proposals, emissions should be 57% lower than the 1990 baseline – 18 points lower than the initial target. Between 2031 and 2035, the target is a 69% reduction from the baseline, and 80% for the following five years. In the final years of the plan – 2041 to 2045 – emissions should have reduced by 94%, with the aim remaining for Scotland to reach net zero by this time. 'These carbon budgets keep Scotland at the forefront of efforts to protect the planet and our Climate Change Plan will ensure the action we take is fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency before us,' said Martin. As of 2023, Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 51.3% from 1990 levels. According to the latest Greenhouse Gas Statistics report, emissions fell fell by nearly 2% in 2023, but climate activists said progress is 'too slow'. Martin said: 'Scotland is now halfway to our 2045 climate change target and is ahead of the UK as a whole in reducing long term emissions.' The announcement was welcomed by WWF Scotland, but the group urged the Scottish Government to commit to 'strong action' to meet the targets. Claire Daily, the group's head of policy and advocacy, said: 'The commitments will remain merely lines on a page without strong action to back them up, including measures to support clean heating in our homes and the transition to more climate and nature-friendly agriculture. 'Future generations cannot afford any more missed climate targets, and this carbon budget must be set for success with strong policies to reduce emissions.' The proposals will be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament before being voted on in the autumn. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
21-05-2025
- Business
- STV News
Climate watchdog warns Scotland needs to take 'immediate action'
The UK's climate watchdog has warned that Scotland needs to take 'immediate action at pace and scale' to cut its emissions after ministers axed a series of policy pledges. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is calling for a 'rapid increase' in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) heat pumps across the country. It said urgent action must be sped up if Scotland wants to meet its net-zero targets by 2045. The CCC's latest report for the Scottish Government set out a pathway for reaching climate targets in Scotland by 2045. The Committee advised that fully electric vehicles should increase from less than 2.2% of cars and vans in 2023 to 60% by 2035, rising again to 94% over the next ten years. It said 40% of homes should be heated by low-carbon electric systems by 2035, adding the 'majority' of these would be heat pumps, with this then rising to 92% of properties by 2045. To achieve this, the CCC said that 'annual heat pump installations in existing homes will need to accelerate rapidly, reaching nearly 35,000 by 2030'. The CCC stressed that this 'rapid increase in installation rates is feasible', although it said 'immediate policy support' from Scottish ministers would be needed. The climate watchdog has already issued stinging criticism of the Scottish Government's faltering progress so far in tackling the climate crisis. After repeatedly missing emissions targets, the original goal of cutting emissions by 75% by 2030 has been delayed by up to six years. Ministers have also abandoned pledges to cut car miles and decarbonise homes by mandating low-carbon heating. They've also cut funding for tree planting, missed targets to restore peatland and ignored calls for a plan to cut meat and dairy consumption. 'Key message out of this advice is that John Swinney and his Government need to stop kicking the can down the road and really get on with actions that is going to reduce climate pollution and improve the lives of people across Scotland,' Caroline Rance from Friends of the Earth Scotland said. 'That's things like warm homes, cheap reliable pub transport, and a fair and fast transition away from expensive, polluting fossil fuels.' The Scottish Government says it will consider the report's recommendations carefully. 'The carbon budgets proposed via secondary legislation must provide an achievable pathway to net zero in 2045 – one which delivers better health outcomes, puts more money in people's pockets, and leaves no workers behind,' acting net zero secretary Gillian Martin said. 'That is the approach the Scottish Government has always taken and measures announced in our Programme for Government, like abolishing peak rail fares for good and delivering 24,000 additional public electric vehicle charge points by 2030, will contribute to that. 'That will be followed by a new Climate Change Plan, outlining our policies and proposals for reducing emissions between 2026 and 2040. This will be brought forward shortly after the carbon budget secondary legislation has been approved.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Indigenous migrants in northern Colombia battle worsening droughts and floods
MAICAO, Colombia (AP) — Standing next to her makeshift home of scrap metal, wood and plastic tarp, 47-year-old Nelly Mengual recounts how severe flooding and winds tore off her roof a few months ago, leaving her knee-deep in water in her home. She lives in an informal settlement on the outskirts of Riohacha, in northern Colombia's arid, wind-swept region, where thousands of other Wayuu people, native to the La Guajira region spanning Colombia and Venezuela, also reside. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Although many residents were born in Colombia, it is the Wayuu who fled Venezuela who face the greatest hardship. Having escaped what many describe as economic crisis, they now live in these settlements without access to running water — and for many, without electricity. The Wayuu, whose traditional lands span Colombia and Venezuela, view the border as a political construct rather than a cultural divide, with their relationships and networks transcending national lines. 'This entire hut. Our belongings, what little we had. Everything was lost,' said Mengual, who makes ends meet by recycling scrap material in Maicao. The Wayuu, the largest Indigenous group in Colombia, are facing the dual threats of climate change-driven droughts and floods. Scientists warn that more severe, prolonged drought periods punctuated by flashes of torrential rain are only getting more common as the world warms. Aside from damaging people's homes, they are also draining water sources, destroying crops, and increasing health risks from waterborne diseases. Many Wayuu families are forced to migrate in search of essential resources, putting even more pressure on already overcrowded urban areas. Intense flooding challenges the Wayuu's way of life Ingrid Gonzalez, a Wayuu community leader from Maracaibo who's lived in the Villa del Sol settlement near Riohacha for six years, says those more traditional Wayuu homes, made with sticks and covered in mud, are very susceptible to the rainy season. 'There are many, many houses that flood and fill up with water,' said 29-year-old Gonzalez. 'A strong river of water passes through here, and the mud houses collapse.' 'Some people manage to preserve their homes by reinforcing them, but the damage is still significant,' she said. 'Several of my own roofing sheets were blown off.' Samuel Lanao, head of Corpoguajira, La Guajira's environment authority, said in 2024 extreme winter floods caused significant losses of homes, crops, and domestic animals in Indigenous communities, particularly among those coming from neighboring Venezuela. 'Because of climate change, there's been a rise in vector-borne diseases like dengue and Zika. Dengue, in particular, has hit Indigenous communities very, very hard,' he said. Lanao said Corpoguajira has created a Climate Change Plan to cut emissions and boost community and ecosystem resilience. The shift in weather patterns is undeniable to Camilo Martinez, La Guajira base manager for the Danish Refugee Council, which has a strong presence in the region. With 14 years of experience in the area, he has witnessed these changes firsthand. 'Years ago when I arrived here, there was fog and in certain hours of the morning it was cold. Today that has stopped, as well as in the snow peaks on the nearby mountains ... you don't see that much anymore,' Martinez told The Associated Press at the Uyatpana Indigenous community, on the outskirts of Maicao. Martinez says the months the rainy season starts has changed, but also the intensity of the rain too when it eventually comes. Scientific evidence of climate change in La Guajira, supported by data from Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) and various studies, includes rising temperatures, prolonged droughts like the 2012–2016 crisis, irregular rainfall patterns, and increased desertification. Heat and drought tests informal settlements Last year's heat was the hottest Gonzalez, the community leader, can remember. 'There are houses where the heat is intense, which affects people, especially those with high blood pressure. They feel tired, flushed, and even unwell,' she said. 'The heat is so strong that it even affects the animals. Neighbors who have chickens have lost some of them due to the extreme heat, as the animals are suffocating.' A significant portion of the Wayuu population maintains traditional, semi-nomadic lifestyles, residing in rancherias — thatched-roof huts made from dried cacti and mud — and herding cattle and goats. In many informal settlements, residents lack access to running water or sanitation services. Water sellers transport untreated water in barrels, using mules to distribute it between homes for a fee. While many people rely on collecting rainwater, the increasing unpredictability of rainfall has made this source of water less dependable. 'They have been forced to buy water from sources that aren't clean, transported by mules or carts that make long journeys to bring it to families,' said Martinez. 'This water isn't drinkable—it can only be used for washing or cooking. But people are left with no choice but to drink it. This is one of the biggest consequences of the droughts and the lack of rainfall during these seasons.' Many non-governmental organizations say they step in to support these areas in La Guajira where state assistance is minimal or entirely absent. Colombia's environment ministry did not respond to AP's requests for comment. Wayuu leader Anibal Mercado told AP the migrant Wayuu population suffers the most because of climate change. 'You find them picking up garbage, you find them recycling, which has never been seen before. And that is a product of the neglect of the government. The State has been promoting neoliberal policies that go against traditional rights, with which the Wayuu used to provide for their own economy... their own food," he said. Many work to rebuild, again and again In the neighborhood of Uyatpana, 28-year-old Laura Pushaina sits on a stool, weaving a chinchorro, a traditional Wayuu hammock used for sleeping. With five children between the ages of one and ten, she says the intricate work will take her four days to complete. Pushaina is one of thousands of Wayuu people who cross into Colombia and establish settlements. Due to shifting political and economic conditions in the region, many have left homes in neighboring Venezuela. Many, like Pushaina, told the AP they hope to return to their rancherias on the Venezuelan side of the border, but they believe the political and economic situation remains too unstable to do so. Some also said that relocating from the informal settlements would help, as the land is unsuitable for living without running water or proper sewage infrastructure. Just a few months ago, Pushaina's home was destroyed by the floods. 'I've lived through the worst of times," she said. 'The water would seep through the mud, and sometimes it came in like a river, flowing through here.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
