Listening to calls for stronger action on climate change
24 September, 2018 - 13:56
Last week I was pleased to meet constituents from across Lothian region to listen to their calls for stronger action on climate change.
Members of the public from every region of Scotland took part and called on their MSPs to strengthen the new Climate Change Bill being considered by the Scottish Parliament. The Mass Climate Lobby was organised by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS), a coalition of civil society organisations campaigning together on climate change.
25 MSPs attended the event, talking to around 80 members of the public who had made their way to Holyrood to speak to them. Constituents from Inverness to Dumfries made their way to Edinburgh despite the chaos and travel disruption caused by Storm Ali.
The Scottish Parliament is currently considering a new Climate Change Bill. Campaigners say this Bill must be strengthened if Scotland is to play its fair part in achieving the global deal on climate change, the Paris Agreement.
The mass lobby was an opportunity for MSPs to learn more about the climate issues that people living in their area are most concerned about. It also gave individuals the opportunity to urge MSPs to ensure the Climate Change Bill goes further and helps Scotland play its fair part in the global fight against climate change. This includes the Government aligning Scottish Budgets with climate change ambition; policies to tackle our worst emitting sectors including a nitrogen balance sheet for farming by 2020 and making Scotland’s homes more energy efficient by 2025. The new Climate Change Bill is due to be published in Summer 2019.
Rest assured I will continue to campaign for strong and urgent action on climate change.
