Tom Ballantine: Climate change talk must be backed by action

THREE years, ago the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed the strongest climate change legislation in the world. It followed the mobilisation of the largest civil society movement Scotland has ever known.

This world-leading legislation, aligned with the global scientific consensus on how we can best tackle climate change, set targets for reducing Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 42 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. The government has shown leadership in putting in place the Climate Justice Fund to help people in developing countries adapt to global warming. First Minister Alex Salmond and his colleagues have done much to trumpet the virtues of Scotland’s progressive climate legislation and, rightly, have called on other nations to follow suit.

It is, therefore, all the more disappointing to find that the Scottish Government has failed to take the necessary action to ensure the emissions reduction targets are delivered. Recent data has confirmed that the first annual emissions reduction target for 2010 was missed. It is also clear that many of the government’s domestic policies, particularly on roads and housing, are not consistent with these targets.

Alarms bells are now ringing within civil society groups. A mass lobby event on 25 October will bring people from across the country face-to-face with their MSPs. They will demand that the Climate Change (Scotland) Act be backed up by action, and emissions reduction targets met.

The forthcoming revision of the Scottish Government plan for meeting these targets must provide a credible, transparent and ambitious plan that will enable Scotland to reduce emissions and meet its targets. The Budget for 2013-14 must adequately fund measures that reduce emissions, in particular providing sufficient monies to pay for energy efficiency and active travel, such as cycling and walking.

A world-leading climate change act that is not followed up by world-leading action to implement it is a major concern domestically and an embarrassment internationally. The Scottish Government needs to get its climate change act together.

• Tom Ballantine is the chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland