What on Earth 89

WHAT ON EARTH

WHAT ON EARTH

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH SCOTLAND’S MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE Issue 89 I Spring 2023

Friends of the Earth Scotland is:

> Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation

> An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland

> Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 73 national member groups and 5,000 local activist groups

Our vision is of a world where everyone can enjoy a healthy environment and a fair share of the earth’s resources.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is an independent Scottish charity SC003442

What on Earth is published by and copyright to: Friends of the Earth Scotland

5 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PR

T: 0131 243 2700

E: info@foe.scot

W: www.foe.scot

Editor: Eilidh Stanners

Design: Emma Quinn

Cover photo by Peter Iain Campbell

The views expressed in What on Earth are not necessarily those of Friends of the Earth Scotland FoES accepts no liability for errors, omissions or incorrect data in advertisements.

If you would prefer to receive a digital version of What on Earth please contact us: info@foe.scot

Director’s view

Gracie Mae Bradley, Director

It’s a pleasure to write to you for the first time. I’m Gracie Mae Bradley, and I took up the post of Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland at the end of January 2023. Perhaps I should begin at the beginning: I was born in Leicester, with my family roots stretching back to Kibworth, Philadelphia, the Gambia and Antigua. I’ve ended up in Scotland via Oxford, Paris, Marseille and London. I’m a committed, experienced campaigner with several years’ experience in professional NGOs, and grassroots groups, including Liberty and Against Borders for Children I’m also a widely published writer –my first book, Against Borders, came out last summer.

It’s been a pleasure to get to know the staff team and wider Friends of the Earth Scotland family in my first weeks I’m impressed at how everyone has pulled together over the last couple of years to deliver some brilliant work in challenging circumstances, navigating the logistical and political twists and turns of COP26; caring for one another through the Covid-19 pandemic; weathering the UK’s turbulent economic outlook, and of course, facing the mounting climate emergency head on.

My priority for the next few months is Friends of the Earth Scotland’s new organisational strategy. I’m running a participatory process, recognising that we are one part of a much wider, vibrant movement, and that our work should strengthen and amplify the efforts of our friends and collaborators.

I’m interested in how Friends of the Earth Scotland can make best use of a varied array of campaign tactics, how we centre solutions to the climate crisis and building towards the world that we want and need in our campaigns, and how we can better work at the intersections of climate justice and all the other social movements that are essential to it, including racial and migrant justice.

I’m keen to hear from you, our members, as part of the strategy process – there's more information about this in the letter that you received along with this magazine

It makes a huge difference stepping into this role, and the work, knowing that I have Friends of the Earth Scotland’s membership behind me. Thanks for your ongoing support. In solidarity,

All Friends of the Earth Scotland members

After two years meeting digitally, we are excited to announce that this year, we will be holding an in person event in central Edinburgh. It will also be possible to join online, so you can choose which option works best for you. This event is a chance to introduce our new director, Gracie Mae Bradley, to meet our board members, the staff, learn more about our campaigns and build connections with other members.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is a democratic, grassroots organisation and the AGM is an opportunity for members to influence our direction as well as elect members of our board.

For more information and to sign up, visit www.foe.scot/agm2023

Remember that as a member you can put forward a motion for debate or even stand for the board – information on how to do this can be found through the above link or by scanning the QR code below.

The Friends of the Earth Scotland Team is looking forward to seeing you!

are warmly invited to our Annual General Meeting on Saturday 3 June 2023

Shoring up the environmental legacy of Nicola Sturgeon

By Mary Church, Head of

Campaigns

In February, Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP. She took up these roles with little if anything in the way of a track record on the environment, but in the eight years since, she has put tackling the climate crisis high on the list of the Government's priorities.

While the rhetoric has not always been matched by action, her personal engagement was extremely important in pushing forward this vital work. As her successor, Humza Yousaf must understand that tackling the climate emergency is the defining challenge of the era, and seek to build on her work in this respect In this article we look at some of the progress that has been

made under Sturgeon's leadership, and where more action is urgently needed.

Stronger climate targets; weak delivery plans

A key win for the climate movement in recent years was securing the passing of the Climate Act in 2019 which introduced substantially stronger targets including a commitment to net zero emissions by 2045, but more crucially, strengthened the targets ahead of 2030. This was due in part to the re-energising of mass movements exemplified by the youth climate strikers and Extinction Rebellion, horrified and inspired by the powerful science on what breaching the critical 1 5C threshold means for life on earth.

While the stronger targets are welcome, Sturgeon’s government has failed to grasp the scale of transformation needed to meet climate targets, and failed to put forward a credible plan to deliver on them. Under Sturgeon’s watch, Scotland has missed three of the last four targets. The Government's continued over-reliance on speculative technologies, like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen, means that the pattern of Scotland missing emissions targets is set to continue, without a new plan prioritising real solutions that can be implemented immediately

Nicola Sturgeon has always been keen to project Scotland as a climate leader on the world stage, and her leadership on ‘loss and damage’ undoubtedly helped secure a global finance mechanism to deliver badly needed reparations. However, if we don't meet emissions reductions at home, we fail to do our fair share of climate action, which all

nations must do to put the world on a path to a climate safe future.

Now Humza Yousaf has been elected as the new First Minister, he must prioritise driving forward urgently needed changes which can tackle the cost of living crisis whilst cutting climate pollution. This means making every home warm and well insulated, supercharging public transport, transforming our energy system, and moving towards a circular economy.

Fossil fuel phase out

Fossil fuel phase out in this decade is essential if we are to do our fair share of keeping global temperatures under the critical 1 5C threshold Over the last several years, we have seen the end of coal in Scotland, and Sturgeon has begun to steer her party away from oil and gas: no mean feat for a party whose long-standing rallying cry has been ‘it’s Scotland’s oil’.

The new leadership must set a clear end date for oil and gas

Crucial decisions have been taken, from the 2017 ban on fracking, to the pre-COP26 announcement that the Scottish Government no longer supports drilling every last drop of North Sea oil. Sturgeon has spoken out against the Cambo oil field, and the current energy strategy consultation asks whether the Scottish Government should oppose new licensing of oil and gas fields and support a faster phase out than the natural decline of the UK's fossil fuels

The new leadership must set a clear end date for oil and gas, to provide certainty for workers, communities and the sector, rule out the new gas power plant at Peterhead, and focus on phasing out fossil fuel use in our energy system

Just transition at the heart of climate narrative

In centring the concept of a just transition for energy workers and communities at the heart of the decarbonisation narrative, Scotland is genuinely breaking new ground. A just transition

is essential if we want to move away from fossil fuels in a way that acts as a catalyst for a fairer society.

Sturgeon's Government enshrined just transition principles in law, appointed a Minister for Just Transition, committed to just transition plans for regions and sectors and established a Just Transition Commision with an economy-wide remit While we are yet to see a just transition being realised on the ground, the framework is in place to enable one, and crucially to hold the Government to account on its delivery.

With the Just Transition Plan for the Energy Sector currently out for consultation, plans for agriculture, transport and buildings are expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks They must set out robust delivery plans, showing how just transition outcomes will be met, how the necessary investment to transform our economy will be marshalled, and what measures will be put in place to support workers and communities to make the transition

A just transition is essential if we want to move away from fossil fuels in a way that acts as a catalyst for a fairer society.

over 80% of our carbon footprint comes from the goods and services we consume...

Changing society for people and the planet

Under Sturgeon, Scotland joined the Wellbeing Economy Governments group, along with Canada, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand and Wales. This small band of nations expressed the desire to take a more holistic view of economic success, looking beyond GDP and growth for growth's sake to measure progress in relation to broader environmental, social and economic priorities

Though this ambition is reflected across Scottish Government language, the National Strategy for Economic Transformation merely pays lip service to the idea, relying instead on the conventional economic thinking that is driving the climate and nature breakdown, and the cost of living crisis.

Furthermore, there has been a notable failure to champion legislation to move to a more circular economy, with repeated delays and real concerns that it will not begin to address the huge climate impact of Scotland’s consumption habits. When

you consider that over 80% of our carbon footprint comes from the goods and services we consume – many of which are made outside of Scotland – this is a key missing piece in our efforts to do our fair share in tackling the climate crisis Humza Yousaf must ensure that the bill is brought forward this term, and that it includes targets to reduce our material and carbon footprints.

In response to the stripping away of rights and protections anticipated following the Brexit vote, Sturgeon has long championed legislation to enshrine human rights in Scots Law. Crucially, the Scottish Government has committed to include the right to a healthy environment within these protections This would lead to a step change in the way that public bodies and private companies are held to account over harm to human health and the environment. We are yet to see this (again, much delayed) legislation come forward – Sturgeon’s successor must commit to continuing with this vital reform

People power works

None of the progress outlined here would have been made if it wasn't for the powerful efforts of campaigners, communities, NGOs and ordinary folk who put the pressure on Nicola Sturgeon and her government over the past eight years The climate movement has grown massively in that time, and greater collaboration with trade unions and human rights organisations has also helped bring results We will continue to use the power we have built together to push for action across these issues, and we’ll make sure Humza Yousaf hears us.

Change is happening, and it’s the responsibility of our governments to make sure that it happens in a way that leads to a better future for everyone, here in Scotland and around the world.

Offshore workers demand a just transition

Connal Hughes, Communications Manager

Over the past two years, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Platform have worked with offshore oil and gas workers to build demands for a just energy transition. This is a groundbreaking piece of work – it's an oil industry first that hasn't happened before anywhere in the world.

We have conducted surveys, telephone conversations and face-to-face meetings with people working in offshore oil and gas. We held a series of workshops in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Newcastle with external facilitators to hear about workers’ experiences, their thoughts about the future and who holds the power in the offshore industry.

Their 10 demands focused on three main areas:

Removing barriers that make it harder for oil workers to move into the renewable industry.

Ensuring safety, job security and fair pay across the energy industry. Sharing the benefits of our energy system fairly, through public ownership and public investment.

Workers developed 10 demands and these were refined and reviewed over further phone conversations We then surveyed an additional 1092 offshore workers and over 90% of them agreed with these final demands. The demands were subsequently backed by key trade unions and climate groups

Change is desperately needed in our energy sector

The process made clear that oil and gas workers are ready to lead the transitionbut are caught in a trap of exploitation and fear created by the companies Their conditions are getting worse, even as energy prices and company profits hit record highs.

Change is desperately needed in our energy sector. A worker-led just transition that meets their demands would see money reinvested in communities through a sovereign wealth fund and the benefits of our energy system shared fairly. The UK is losing out on revenue that could support households and public services, while private oil and gas companies make huge profits and destroy our climate

The current energy system allowed just six global oil and gas firms to make almost $360 billion profit between them in 2022. Low taxation means companies in the UK take home the highest proportion of revenue of any country –the UK Government received less than a tenth of what the Norwegian Government took in taxes per barrel of oil in 2019

We know that oil and gas companies aren't serious about renewables as nearly three quarters of them don't invest anything in renewable energy production in the UK

But the workers, who are demanding fair pay and protections across the sector, were clear that we cannot model offshore wind in the broken image of the oil industry. This research highlighted how salary thresholds set by UK Government immigration rules have been waived for the offshore wind sector for the past 5 years On SSE’s Beatrice wind farm off the Scottish coast, for example, crew were paid less than £5 per hour while working 12 hour days, seven days a week.

Oliver, 42, Mud Engineer, offshore for 12 years: “The whole city is dependent on oil because there’s so many people attached to the industry. It’s noticeable in Aberdeen when there’s an oil price crash, everything’s a lot quieter, everyone is worried about their jobs, there’s not as much money about. I don’t think anyone really likes it, a lot of people who work in industry have been fed up with it for years.”

Mark, 44, Rigging Supervisor, offshore for more than 20 years: “When I was working on the River Tyne, I spoke to a guy who had worked in the oil and gas industry for 40 years. He asked me where I got my survival suit, because he wanted one for the winter. Not to go out anywhere or for work, but to sit inside at home. He couldn’t afford his gas and electric over the winter. To have someone who has worked their whole lives in the industry asking me a question like that, I felt like crying in front of the bloke.”

Workers also demanded an offshore training passport that recognises transferable skills between offshore wind and offshore oil and gas Currently many workers are having to pay from their own pocket and have to duplicate training courses because the two separate training bodies for each industry cannot reach agreement.

We heard how whistleblowing protections do not apply to self-employed workers, which make up a substantial proportion of an increasingly casualised offshore workforce, leaving many workers vulnerable to blacklisting and victimisation for speaking out.

What needs to happen?

We then commissioned experts to map out how to turn these demands into reality, what they would cost to implement and who has the power to deliver them

This shows that the Scottish Government needs to take responsibility for creating clear pathways out of high carbon jobs for workers, and ensure that there are plenty of local green jobs resulting from manufacturing the parts of renewable energy installations here in Scotland.

Scottish Ministers also have a really important role in urging their Westminster counterparts for enhanced rights for workers, a wage floor to prevent exploitation and better protection for whistleblowers. The Scottish Government should be making the case that the huge benefits of energy generation must be more evenly shared through a tax on excess profits and a sovereign wealth fund

Ryan, 40, Offshore Steward, offshore for 8 years: “There’s a culture of fear, people don’t generally speak up or confront anything or anyone. This obviously benefits management and the company as a whole because then they don’t have things tarnishing their reputation. If they can keep us in a state of fear the whole time, we’ll just suck it up and won’t put in grievances.”

As it stands, failure from politicians to properly plan and support the transition to renewables is leaving workers totally at the whim of oil and gas companies, and the planet to burn.

Workers are the people who have the best understanding of the challenges they face working offshore, and the barriers to an energy transition. We need to listen to them and ensure that their skills and experience are retained as we build a better energy system that works for people and the planet

We have produced a lengthy report that details this work, a campaign manual with more accessible explanations, as well as briefings on how to realise each demand

Read more about this work along with a short video hearing from workers at www.foe.scot/ourpower

Fear of blacklisting causes many workers not to speak out Names of contributors have been changed to protect their identities.

Bottle return scheme starting in the summer

By Kim Pratt, Circular Economy Campaigner

It’s now just a few months until Scotland’s deposit return scheme will be starting It’s been a rocky road, with countless delays and the recent SNP leadership election seeing it used as a political football, but we’re hopeful that this will finally be it

The deposit return scheme represents really exciting progress happening to protect the environment in Scotland It will require people to pay a 20p deposit on single-use drink containers made of plastic, metal or glass. We can then get our 20p back by returning the empty packaging to any shop participating in the scheme, and the can or bottle will be recycled.

In Scotland, lots of us fondly remember doing this with our Irn Bru bottles, so it’s not surprising that there has been broad public support for the scheme A recent survey found that around 3 in 4 Scots supported the idea of deposit return

Once the deposit return scheme is introduced, there will be 34,000 fewer plastic bottles littered every day in our streams, parks and countryside, saving the public £46 million a year through reduced litter clean up costs. It will also mean a reduction of 4 million tonnes of climate changing emissions over 25 years. Systems like this have proven to be extremely successful around the world.

Households in Scotland recycle less than half their waste. The scheme is expected to increase recycling for bottles and cans to 90%. It's been designed to be inclusive to people in all communities by making sure it is as easy to return a drinks containers as it is to buy one

After being delayed twice, the Scottish Government is saying that unless it’s blocked by the UK Government, it will be starting in August this year. The UK Government recently confirmed that similar schemes will be starting in the rest of the UK, showing that Scotland’s environmental leadership can lead to wider progress.

The deposit return scheme has been frequently in the news as the date draws closer, with businesses claiming they’ve not had enough time or support to get the scheme up and running In reality, businesses have had five years to prepare. The Scottish Government has engaged with businesses of all sizes and addressed many of their concerns throughout the lengthy development of the scheme.

It is fundamental to the long-term success of the scheme that the costs of Scotland’s deposit return scheme come from industry. Part of its purpose is to make sure the responsibility for cleaning up is held by the companies putting these products on shelves, rather than from the public purse, as is currently the case

Systems like this have proven to be extremely successful around the world.

Why carbon capture and storage is not part of a just transition

By Connal Hughes, Communications Manager

For the past two decades, politicians and industry have been hyping carbon capture and storage (CCS), claiming that it should be a part of the energy transition and throwing their weight behind the high profile Acorn project in the North East of Scotland.

These CCS projects are meant to work by capturing the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels, compressing it and then storing it deep underground The proposed storage sites are depleted gas fields in the North Sea, which could see Scotland end up as a dumping ground for Europe’s carbon.

Make no mistake, CCS is being used by the fossil fuel industry to try and extend its lifespan. Companies are arguing that if CCS manages to catch some of the emissions, then they should be able to keep exploring and drilling for more oil and gas. This is, of course, a dangerous attempt at greenwashing the burning of fossil fuels, the main driver of the climate crisis

We need to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and not drag out their demise, further endangering the most vulnerable communities to rising temperatures and extreme weather Climate science and energy experts are clear that there can be no new fossil fuels projects anywhere in the world if we are to stay within the agreed limits of 1 5C of warming

Anyone who has paid an energy bill in the last 12 months will be wondering why we would want to try and preserve an energy system that is shackled to oil and gas. Yet politicians across the UK are demanding that further public money be given to carbon capture projects, when the main beneficiaries will be the same oil companies posting all time record profits.

We need to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and not drag out their demise

The reality of the CCS industry is that it has not worked at scale and it cannot deliver the rapid and deep cuts to climate pollution that we need right now For nearly 20 years the Government has poured time, money and energy into trying to make carbon capture work and it has delivered a legacy of near total failure Older readers might remember the failed promises of the CCS projects at Grangemouth and Longannet

There have also been at least two failures to get CCS working at the Peterhead power station and in 2022 SSE and Equinor applied to build a new gas-fired station at the Aberdeenshire site –complete with promises of carbon capture once again.

Whilst the CCS industry is languishing, renewable energy goes from strength to strength. Both the UK and Scottish Governments must do far more to ensure that the benefits of renewables are shared more equitably, but it is bringing jobs and economic activity today. Workers who want to transition need jobs that exist in the here and now, not far off promises from a carbon capture industry that might not ever get off the ground

In the rare occasions where these projects work – often using the captured carbon to force out more oil – they only employ a small amount of people Recent evidence came to light about an ethanol plant using CCS in Illinois, USA showing that since 2017 it has cost the American public purse $281 million to run, but has only employed 11 people and has actually increased climate pollution.

Furthermore, by committing to store carbon underground we are committing a grave intergenerational injustice. We are asking our children and grandchildren to take on the responsibility to keep this carbon stored safely for as long as people are living on earth What a dangerous legacy to pass on, just because politicians today are unwilling to stand up to fossil fuel companies.

And who will pay the bill for the eternal monitoring and upkeep of these carbon stores? Will it be the companies who have profited from selling the oil or will it be the public once again?

After years of industry promises and a complete failure to deliver, it is time to redirect that investment and energy to climate solutions that we know can deliver emissions cuts and improve peoples’ lives today like public transport and home insulation, rather than falling for eternal promises of carbon capture being just around the corner.

Scottish Ministers need to wake up and realise that carbon capture and these other so-called negative emissions technologies are a dangerous distraction from the urgent and necessary working of cutting emissions at source and delivering a just transition away from fossil fuels.

What a dangerous legacy to pass on, just because politicians today are unwilling to stand up to fossil fuel companies.

Scotland’s most polluted streets

By Gavin Thomson, Transport Campaigner

At the beginning of every year, we look at the data from the air pollution monitors around Scotland and analyse it to find out if Scotland has broken the legal limits, to see what the overall trends are, and to name our most polluted streets This year we have some good news: Scotland did not breach legal air pollution limits in 2022

This is the first time it has done so since the limits were introduced in 2010, excluding 2020. In 2020, the strict first lockdown meant that we saw a historic low for air pollution in Scotland. Unfortunately, in 2021 we saw pollution levels begin to rebound, despite some pandemic restrictions remaining, and Hope Street in Glasgow was so bad it once again broke the legal limit

This improvement in air quality in 2022, particularly in Glasgow, is a clear sign that the low emission zones are already working, and they haven’t even formally begun.

Of course this does not mean that the air pollution problem is solved – many streets are just below the legal limit, and some did get worse in 2022 – but it’s a positive step

The impact of Low Emission Zones

In Glasgow, where we saw the biggest improvement in air quality, the Low Emission Zone started in 2019 by restricting the most polluting buses. Now every bus going through the city centre has to meet the minimum emission standard, with private cars to follow in June this year To support bus operators to meet the criteria, the Scottish Government has provided grants for buying new buses or retrofitting older buses.

Most polluted streets in Scotland

Nitrogen dioxide

1 Hope Street, Glasgow

2 St John’s Road, Edinburgh

3 Atholl Street, Perth

4 Lochee Road, Dundee

5 Byres Road, Glasgow

In Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen, the low emission zones will come into effect in June of this year, but bus companies have already begun to update their vehicles with the grant money, so we’re already starting to see some improvements The very oldest, most polluting cars will be restricted from the zones in those cities from June 2024.

Unfortunately in Perth and Inverness, where low emission zones aren’t planned, we’ve not seen any improvement, and in some places it’s even got worse It’s clear that LEZs really make an impact and that councils across Scotland should be considering them for any polluted areas.

Most polluted streets in Scotland

Particulate matter

1 Atholl Street, Perth

2 High Street, Ayr

3 St John’s Road, Edinburgh

4 Bonnygate, Cupar

5 Salamander Street, Edinburgh

We analysed official air pollution data for 2022, looking at two toxic pollutants which are primarily produced by transport, and these were the most polluted streets.

Air pollution is still a problem

Air pollution from transport is responsible for thousands of premature deaths in Scotland every year, and causes serious heart and lung issues There’s also growing evidence of the impact of air pollution on our brains, and recent studies have linked it with dementia.

Nitrogen dioxide is the toxic gas caused by burning fossil fuels in car engines Particulate matter is caused by things like soot from engines and dust from road surfaces.

Andrew Dallas, GP at Cairn Medical Practice in Inverness and chair of Highland Healthcare for Climate Action, commented on the persistant pollution problem in Inverness:

"We know that on days where air pollution levels are higher, we see increased levels of admission to hospital as a result. It contributes to lung disease, heart disease, stroke and many other conditions. It also contributes to health inequalities because people in lower income areas are significantly more exposed to air pollution. This is yet another health injustice as those suffering most from the effects of air pollution they had little to do with creating it.

“Despite all this, the quality of our air is not high enough on our agenda and it is frustrating to see little progress being made in Inverness. The solutions to this problem are well established. If we create low emission zones, better public transport and better active travel infrastructure we can reduce the health burden of air pollution, reduce our contribution to climate change and enjoy all the well documented health benefits of being more active."

David Cody from campaign group Get Glasgow Moving said:

“It’s great that the Low Emission Zone is starting to make a difference, alongside the new electric buses bought with millions of public money – this would not have happened if it was left to the bus operators.

“The Low Emission Zone shows that when the council acts in our interest, it can have an impact – but it's a baby step compared to the change we need. For better air, lower emissions, and an end to transport poverty and social isolation, we need Glasgow City Council and neighbouring councils to take transport into public hands.”

need to take control of our public transport to run comprehensive services that serve passengers not profit, and more options for safe walking and cycling, to improve the air we breathe permanently.

When it comes to air pollution, we know what works. We

Mass protests call for divestment from fossil fuels

By Sally Clark, Divestment Campaigner

Over 30 groups around the UK protested on 24 March as part of the Divest from Crisis day of action, which we organised along with Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Platform

Activists urged councils, pension funds and financial institutions to take action to simultaneously address the crises of fuel poverty, climate breakdown and energy security with creative protests calling attention to the interconnected issues.

Over the last year, many of us have been unable to afford to heat our homes and watched in horror as the climate crisis intensified

Investors like local council pension funds are gambling billions on fossil fuels, propping up a broken energy system when they could be investing in warmer homes, renewable energy, and helping drive the transition to a liveable and just future.

Over 50 local councils have now formally backed divestment from fossil fuels, with the most recent support coming from Rother District Council last month In Scotland, Edinburgh, East Lothian, Glasgow and South Lanarkshire councils have all backed divestment, but the pension funds have not yet made the necessary changes.

The spiralling cost of living and the breakdown of the global climate are both symptoms of an unstable and unjust energy system, founded on fossil fuels.

The scores of protests that took place across the UK shows how much support there is for action for a fossil free future. In Edinburgh a theatrical protest took place outside the City Chambers whilst in Glasgow there was a musical-themed rally. Vigils, stalls and online actions happened elsewhere in Scotland, and some people got together to send postcards to their local councillors

In 2021, the UK pensions industry was estimated to invest £128bn into the fossil fuel companies that are driving the crisis Meanwhile, the UK’s biggest banks have invested tens of billions into fossil fuel expansion projects set to tip global heating well beyond safe limits

With millions of households across the country struggling to pay soaring energy bills driven by the nation’s fossil fuel dependency, campaign groups are calling on investors to divest from

expensive and unstable fossil fuels and boost investment in affordable and future-proof renewables.

There have also been calls from unions for councils to divest Stephen Smellie is the deputy convenor of UNISON Scotland, representing local government workers. He said:

“UNISON members care about how their pension pots are invested Firstly, we want to ensure that our pensions are safe for the future Fossil fuels are not a safe investment for the future.

“Secondly, we care about the future of the environment and fossil fuels are responsible for destroying it.”

Whether or not you made it out to one of the protests, you can make your voice heard by writing to your local councillors.

We’ve drafted an email that you can edit or just send as it is, so it will only take you a couple of minutes. act.foe.scot/divestment