The world should follow Scotland's lead and set ambitious climate change targets
Climate change activists have urged world leaders to follow Scotland’s example and create strong targets to reduce climate changing emissions ahead of a meeting of world leaders this week.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland have created a film, Scotland’s Climate Action Story, that highlights the benefits of Scotland’s world-leading climate change laws.
It urges world leader at the UN Climate Change summit in New York this week to follow Scotland’s example internationally.
A year before new targets are created to replacy the Kyoto Agreement, Scotland continues to have the strongest climate change laws in the world.
"2015 is the year the world needs to act together,” the film’s voice-over states.
“For decades, Scotland was famous for its coal, its steel and its ships. This heavy industry brought wealth from the four corners of the earth.
“Scotland’s changed. Now we’re a modern, consumer society. We’re one of the world’s richest countries, but our wealth has come at a price.
“Our climate emissions past and present contribute to a global problem and it’s the poorest people in the world that are suffering most.
“Scotland is facing up to its responsibilities. In 2009, the Scottish Parliament passed the Climate Change Act. It pledges Scotland to legally binding emissions reduction targets and is believed to be the strongest climate change legislation in the world.”
The film was released the day after hundreds of thousands of people took part in Climate March in cities around the world, including New York, London, Melbourne and Delhi on Sunday.
In Edinburgh, 2,000 people took part in Scotland’s People’s ClimateMarch.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is hosting the Climate Summit, which is an opportunity for world leaders to agree action to tackle climate change before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meets in December 2015 to agree new targets to replace the Kyoto Agreement.
Gail Wilson, coordinator of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said: "This is an important moment for global action on climate change. Hundreds of thousands of people across the world are coming together to say enough is enough.
“People are realising that the issue of climate change isn’t going to go away. The things that people care about are being, and will increasingly be, negatively affected by increasing global temperatures.
“We are hopeful that the UN summit will set the correct tone to achieve significant and urgent action on climate change. However, we know that taking ambitious climate action now can lead to a stronger economy, more jobs, healthier lives and cleaner air.”
Friends of the Earth Scotland Director, Dr. Richard Dixon also urged world leaders to take action.
"Global leaders at this summit must listen to the huge numbers of people who took the streets this weekend and redouble their efforts towards producing a just and ambitious international agreement on tackling climate change," he said.
"Citizens are already developing their own climate solutions through community energy projects and more sustainable transport options due to a lack of trust that governments and big business will take the necessary action."
