Aims need action

Published on 26/02/2013 00:00

Alf Young’s piece on transport (Perspective, 23 February) made for some thought-provoking reading. He’s right that “politicians need to back up their 
rhetoric about sustainability”.

Since the first climate change target, set under the world-
leading Scottish Climate Change Act, was missed last year, Stop Climate Chaos has been calling for government to match its 
impressive climate ambitions with the necessary climate 
action.

Transport is responsible for a quarter of Scotland’s emissions, and emissions from that sector are higher now than they were in 1990. So if Scotland is serious about meeting our climate targets, we can’t ignore it.

But in the Scottish Government’s draft plans to reduce emissions, which are currently being scrutinised by parliament, there is not a single Scottish 
policy to reduce emissions from the transport sector.

Furthermore, the proposals put forward place too much 
emphasis on technical fixes over measures to encourage people out of their cars and into more sustainable forms of transport.

The government needs to 
revise these plans, accordingly, to give public transport and travel by foot and bike a higher priority. This will ensure a fair approach to reducing emissions from transport, not only benefiting those who drive a car.

Tomorrow, transport minister, Keith Brown MSP, will appear before a parliamentary committee to explain the government’s plans. We hope he will use this opportunity to 
increase significantly the effort from this important sector in 
reducing emissions.

Tom Ballantine

Stop Climate Chaos 
Scotland

Lochside View

Edinburgh