Scuttle coal

At a time when urgent action is needed across the globe to tackle climate change, Scotland should not be considering a new coal-fired power station at Hunterston (your report, 16 March). This would be the wrong development in the wrong place. It would result in an unnecessary increase in climate-wrecking carbon emissions and the direct loss of a substantial part of a nationally important wildlife site.

The proposed power station would permanently damage one of the best remaining inter-tidal mudflats on the outer Clyde, important for a wide range of bird species and designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

If allowed to go ahead, the development would also make a mockery of the Scottish Government's world-leading ambitions to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change. And it would worsen Scotland's climate debt to the poorest in the world, who are already suffering the devastating impacts of climate change caused by our past emissions.

Scotland has enormous renewable energy potential. We should be investing in clean, green, renewable technology alongside improved energy efficiency measures and facilitating demand reduction, not developing new, polluting coal-fired power stations.

Lloyd Austin

Head of conservation policy RSPB Scotland

Juliet Swann

Head of projects and campaigns, Friends of the Earth Scotland

Richard Dixon

Director, WWF Scotland

Liz Murray

Head of campaigns and networks, Scotland World Development Movement