Cautious welcome by enviro groups
Environmental campaigners have welcomed proposals from Scottish government to end all Scottish Government overseas trade focused on fossil fuel goods and services by COP26.
Trade Minister Ivan McKee said promotional activities solely focused on fossil fuel goods and services would cease in order to meet climate change commitments.
McKee presented the Scottish Government’s “Vision for Trade” document to the Scottish Parliament, setting out its strategy for international trade.
He said: “We will use trade as a lever to drive progress to our climate change targets and improve our international environmental impact.
“An example of this is our commitment to ending all overseas trade support and promotion activities solely focused on fossil fuel goods and services by the time of the COP26.”
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s director Dr Richard Dixon said fossil fuels are the key driver of the climate emergency and the Scottish Government’s decision to stop promoting them in other nations should be warmly welcomed.
He added: “Caution must be exercised though around exemptions to this rule given the oil and gas industry’s clear intentions to continue business as usual.
“It does immediately raise the question that if it is wrong to support fossil fuels overseas because of their climate impact, then surely it is wrong to support them at home?
“With the UN climate talks coming to Glasgow this year, and the clock ticking on solving the climate crisis, Scotland needs a bold plan setting out steps to phase out fossil fuel extraction and use in this country, while ensuring a just transition for workers and communities dependent on the industry.”
Meanwhile a global opinion poll, the largest of its kind ever conducted, has found almost two thirds of people around the world now view climate change as a global emergency.
More than a million people in 50 countries took part in the survey, with almost half the participants aged between 14 and 18.
Across all countries, 64% of participants saw climate change as an emergency, requiring urgent responses from countries. The margin of error was +/- 2%.
Overall, younger people were more likely to agree with the view that rising temperatures were an emergency, with nearly 70% in favour.
For people over the age of 60, this dropped to 58%.
