A charity is urging the Scottish Government to phase out fossil fuels and be a world leader on clean energy creation
Supporters of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) are calling for the Scottish Government to phase out fossil fuels and start using clean energy such as solar, wind and tidal power.
The use of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas is speeding up climate change, which is worsening the lives of millions of people in developing countries already living in poverty.
Dr Ricardo Navarro, director of CESTA, a SCIAF-supported charity in El Salvador, has said: “In El Salvador, climate change is already killing people. Richer countries like Scotland need to cut their greenhouse gas emissions drastically.”
SCIAF launched a campaign earlier this year called "powering our common home" to urge the Scottish Government to diverge from using fossils fuels and increase Scotland’s use of clean energy.
Director of SCIAF Alistair Dutton said: “We’re urging the First Minister and her government to set out a clear plan to phase out fossil fuels from Scotland’s energy mix and increase our use of clean energy.
“We know that the rise in global temperatures cannot exceed 1.5C without it causing enormous suffering to billions of people, mostly the poorest and most marginalised.”
The charity has praised the government for its commitment to using 50% renewable energy sources by 2030 and has welcomed plans for a large scale energy efficiency programme.
However, Dutton has insisted that this is not enough and that the Scottish Government needs to take more urgent action.
Grace Buckley is a 66 year-old retired energy industry manager from Glasgow who supported the campaign.
She said: “I know that, having worked in the industry, energy companies do want to do the right thing but they will only do it if there is a legislative framework to support them to do this, otherwise, the pressure is on them to make money.”
A group of 47 developing countries including Haiti, Ethiopia and Bangladesh have recently committed to generating 100% of their energy from renewable sources, prompting calls for wealthy countries like Scotland take further action.
