Climate manifesto demands 50mph limit on rural roads

Published on 07/10/2010 17:55

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland - the coalition of more than 40 organisations including RSPB Scotland and WWF - has published a manifesto calling for all political parties to commit to a range of measures ahead of the Holyrood election.

The group has published a list of requirements - many of which are already part of the Climate Change Act - for all parties to sign up to to ensure that stringent environmental measures will come into force no matter which political party takes control of Holyrood next year.

SCCS's manifesto includes ruling out future use of carbon credits to meet emission reduction targets, cutting the national speed limit on country roads to 50mph, and investing between 60 million and 120m to restore peatlands in Scotland.

The group also wants politicians to require local authorities to produce heat maps, commit to move away from road building and bring forward an energy efficiency strategy with a budget of at least 100m per year.

"Our manifesto represents two million people across Scottish society calling for politicians to take specific action to address the issue of climate change," said Tom Ballantine, chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.

"While the targets in the Climate Change Act are great, we now need to see the action taken to meet them.

"We know many of the measures will help create a healthier, more equal society. There are also real economic benefits. The range and diversity of the asks in our manifesto make plain the rewards."

Claire Aston of Christian Aid Scotland, a member organisation of SCCS, said: "Scotland's aid agencies are already helping poor communities who are being directly affected by climate change, despite them having done least to create it.

"That is why we worked together through the passage of the Scottish Climate Change Act, to ensure that it acknowledged that wealthy nations like Scotland have an historic and moral obligation to help those most affected by the problem we helped to create. We are asking the next government to put this principle into action by matching the current aid budget with a further 9 million per year to enable poor communities to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change."

Green MSP Patrick Harvie added: "Stop Climate Chaos are absolutely right to say that next year's election must take climate change seriously.The crucial question for all parties and for others who want to influence the debate will be how to find the funding for them."

Other political parties also welcomed the manifesto.

"Labour is committed to tackling climate change and we'd be keen to hear the case for anything further we can do," said Labour's shadow environment spokeswoman, Sarah Boyack.

SNP climate change committee member Shirley-Anne Sommerville, added: "It is the SNP in Government which has delivered the most far-reaching and ambitious climate change legislation anywhere on the planet.

"That solid platform, which will be built upon by the SNP's manifesto for next year, will ensure Scotland stays at the forefront of global efforts to combat climate change and the SNP has been delighted to meet Stop Climate Chaos Scotland to discuss their ideas."