What on Earth Issue 73

WHAT ON

EARTH ’ magazine Scotland’s supporters Friends of the Earth 7 201 Issue 73 Autumn

SCOTLAND BANS

FRACKING!

COLIN HATTERSLEY

WHAT ON

EARTH 7 Issue 73 Autumn 201

Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) 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, 75 national member groups, and some 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.

CONTENTS 4

Friends of the Earth Scotland is 40

We want to hear from our members 6

Scotland bans fracking

Huge victory for people and planet 8

Change is in the air

Major announcements in transport 12 Scotland must do more to tackle climate change

Increasing our ambition for the coming decades 16 New Scottish National Investment Bank proposed

Funding a low carbon transition

What on Earth is published by and copyrighted 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: Connal Hughes Picture Editor: Connal Hughes Design: www.triggerpress.co.uk Cover: Illustration by Andy Arthur www.magnificentoctopus.com e 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 WoE contact us: info@foe.scot Printed on Cocoon silk 100% recycled paper Klima 3.1 typeface was created by Matthew Anderson and is free to use for the climate movement.

RE-USE AND SPREAD THE WORD When you have finished with this magazine, save it or pass it on to friends, a doctor’s surgery, school, student union, library or café. As a last resort recycle it.

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COLIN HATTERSLEY

Director’s View / 3

BANS, PHASE OUTS and TRANSITIONS

By Dr Richard Dixon, Director @Richard_Dixon Of course we wanted more – a full ban in law – t is rare that we get to celebrate such a but we’ll keep pushing for that, and using the clear victory as the ban on fracking in Scottish example to support campaigners in Scotland. For some in the organisation this England, the last place in Western Europe has been six years’ work, and it has involved where you can still try to frack. everyone in the team at some stage.

Working with community groups we The fracking ban came on top of some have turned the Scottish remarkable things in the new Government around from being Programme for Government. This keen on unconventional oil We have includes no longer just one and gas to a strong stance succeeded beyond Low Emission Zone but at against it ever least four, the end to the sale happening here. any reasonable of petrol and diesel cars, and the expectations announcement of a Just Transition When I arrived in 2013 we Commission, an idea we have been reviewed the fracking campaign, developing with the unions. All of which which had already been running for a add up to a strong signal that the days of year. We were fighting a planning fossil fuels really are numbered in Scotland. application for full-scale production at Airth and we concluded that, realistically, the Our work to deliver a Fossil Free Scotland is best we could hope for was to lose this one never done and there is a new Climate Bill to but make it so hard that developers would try to improve. Thank you if you have already think twice about the next one. We have emailed the First Minister asking her to make succeeded beyond any reasonable sure her government lives up to her own fine expectations and it was our dogged work words on climate change by increasing the with the community, with politicians and civil proposed target for 2030 and aiming to end servants, and through the media that was the emissions by 2040. key to this victory.

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4 / FoES is 40

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WE ARE TURNING 40 AND WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! n 1978, a handful of passionate people came together to start campaigning on vital environmental issues in Scotland.

Over the past 40 years, this small group of activists has evolved into Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation!

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2018 marks our 40th birthday and on this special occasion we want to hear from everyone who has been part of our work over

the years. Please take a few minutes to respond to our short members survey online at www.foe.scot/40-survey or by filling out and returning the enclosed paper form.

Some of you were part of the initial movement that laid the foundations for what we are today – we’d especially love to hear from our longstanding supporters so please do have your say.

Campaign to boycott Esso for their climate denial (2001); Highlighting tropical mahogany wood sales at John Lewis (1994); Protesting nuclear waste proposals (1996); Raising awareness about acid rain (1985)

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Raffle / 5

www.ecoyoga.org

2017 Annual Prize Draw Star prize: a two-night stay for two at ecoYoga Centre!

Set in magnificent natural scenery, the ecoYoga Centre is a renewable energypowered retreat at Inverliever Lodge, Argyll.

Guests can enjoy yoga classes in a studio overlooking the Liever Gorge, soak in natural wooden hot tubs and sample delicious vegetarian dishes.

You’ll find a booklet of tickets enclosed in your copy of What on Earth. To enter, send tickets and payment to:

Other prizes include:

For more tickets, contact John Fitzgerald: jfitzgerald@foe.scot • tel: 0131 243 2717

£50 Real Foods voucher www.realfoods.co.uk

FREEPOST RRLR-KAGH-LYBS Friends of the Earth Scotland 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PR

Alternatively, you can buy tickets online at https://donate.foe.scot/raffle2017

FoES organic cotton t-shirt FoES organic cotton tote bag

Entries must be received before 15 January 2018 which is the draw date.

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6 / Fracking

After six years of hard campaigning, Scotland has finally

BANNED FRACKING!

By Mary Church, Head of Campaigns @mmachch n 3 October, the Scottish Government announced that, taking into account the evidence and opinions gathered during its 33-month moratorium period, it would not support the development of unconventional oil and gas extraction.

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The announcement was met with much celebration and relief, especially when Holyrood voted to support and strengthen the terms of the ban two weeks later.

There is no doubt that this decision came about as a result of the tremendous efforts of grassroots campaigners – including many Friends of the Earth local groups and members – across the country over the last six years. Support from campaigners fighting fracking around the world, particularly learning from countries where fracking is already underway, was also critical in getting to this outcome. This is truly a huge victory for the anti-fracking movement and for Friends of the Earth.

Over 60,000 people responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation earlier this year, with over 99% of responses opposed to fracking. This is the biggest number of people responding to a Government consultation with a single voice in the history of the devolved Parliament. This result is a testament to the hard work of the anti-fracking movement, particularly the

Broad Alliance, Scotland Against Fracking and our very own local groups and campaign organisers, in running public meetings, street stalls, door knocking and other events during the four month consultation period.

In his announcement Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse adopted the words of antifrackers the world over when he said there is ‘no social licence’ for the industry to be taken forward. He also emphasised that it was not simply public opinion that made the Government’s mind up, but that the research commissioned during the moratorium had not "adequately address[ed].. communities' concerns” about the health and environmental impacts of fracking.

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Fracking / 7

is is truly a huge victory for the anti-fracking movement

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The approach the Government decided on was to ‘indefinitely’ extend the existing moratorium which uses planning and environmental powers to stop the industry from going ahead. We were disappointed that Ministers fell short of announcing a legislative ban, since a policy ban like this can effectively be undone with the stroke of a pen, and no recourse to Parliament.

legislation, the NPF does involve Parliamentary scrutiny and would be more difficult for a future Government to undo than the present position.

Crucially, however, the vote also left the door open for the Parliament to put the fracking ban into law when licensing powers finally come to Holyrood. The powers were devolved following the 2014 independence referendum, but delays with a commencement order mean they have not technically been transferred yet. We will be pushing to ensure that happens when the powers come through.

However, anti-fracking parties in the Parliament – Labour, Greens and Lib Dems – worked together to propose amendments to strengthen the Government’s proposal by putting it into the National Planning Framework. While not as strong as primary COLIN HATTERSLEY

On the day of the vote in Parliament, campaigners from across the central belt gathered outside Holyrood for one final push for a stronger ban. A good number of us watched the vote together in Parliament or on a screen in a nearby bar, and celebrated as the votes came in: finally, fracking was banned in Scotland!

P.S. As we celebrated together, it was never far

from our minds that the fight continues in many parts of the world, particularly in England where campaigners face an uphill struggle against a resolutely pro-fracking Government, and Pennsylvania, the source of Ineos’s fracked gas imports to Grangemouth.

So, the battle here is won, but the fight is not over… watch this space for more!

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8 / Air Pollution

Finally, CHANGE IS IN THE AIR!

By Emilia Hanna, Air Pollution Campaigner @Emiliajaneagain

ften it seems like progress on air pollution and transport has been painfully slow. Transport is the most stubborn of sectors, with carbon emissions almost as high as they were in 1990, and unsafe levels of pollution.

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But there were a number of remarkable new promises made in the Scottish Programme for Government, and there has been a seeming shift at the local level in the past six months too.

Of course, new commitments now have to be properly delivered and further strengthened. The status quo is still that over two thirds of trips to work are made by car, compared with only 3 percent by bike and 10 percent by bus. We have a bus sector in crisis, and illegal levels of pollution across the country. But we have tangible promises to sink our teeth into now, and could be witnessing the start of a step change in the Government's overall thinking on transport.

Let’s look at what was promised and what needs to happen now:

“ We could be witnessing the start of a step change in Government's overall thinking on transport.

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Air Pollution / 9

Low Emission Zones will ensure that the dirtiest petrol and diesel vehicles are kept out of the most polluted places.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN MCGLYNN

LOW EMISSION ZONES What had been promised?

One LEZ in an unknown location, by 2018.

Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh Councils had expressed a willingness to have an LEZ. What has changed?

Glasgow will be home to the first LEZ by 2018; Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen will have LEZs by 2020; and more as required by 2023.

In its first meeting following May's elections, Edinburgh passed a motion proposed by Councillor Booth to agree that the Council “should be prepared to take the lead in progressing a Low Emission Zone.”

In September, Glasgow Council passed a motion to introduce, in principle, an LEZ by 2018, that would eventually apply to all vehicle types. Defending the motion at Committee, Councillor Richardson said, “I'm not going to apologise for wanting to be ambitious” – we hope to see some of that ambition fleshed out in the next six months and will be urging the Council to adopt an

ambitious LEZ that targets buses, vans, and lorries from the outset.

What’s next?

We have a mammoth task on our hands to influence what these LEZs will look like at the local level and are working closely with our local group in Glasgow as it will be the first Zone to launch. Crucially, LEZs need to be wide in area, scope and ambition, and Councils must be bold and ambitious in their plans. LEZs should apply Euro 6 emissions standards to buses, vans, and lorries from the outset, and to cars and taxis shortly after.

We want them to be properly enforced, to cover city centres rather than a handful of streets, and to become a focal point for walking and cycling infrastructure improvements. We continue to campaign for the Scottish Government to fund the Zones.

We’ve also recently been inspired by Oxford Council, which now plans to have the world’s first zero emissions city by banning petrol and diesel vehicles from the city centre by 2020. We want Councils and the Scottish Government to set plans for completely

10 / Air Pollution

WHAT On EARTH • AuTuMn/WInTER 2017/18

removing fossil fuelled vehicles from our town and city centres altogether.

DIESEL AND PETROL PHASE OUT BY 2032 What had been promised?

The transport sector would be decarbonised by 2050.

What’s changed?

The Scottish Government has set a “target to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032”.

What next?

This is a step forward, but it is technically difficult (though not impossible!) to deliver.

The Scottish Government does not have the powers to control vehicle taxes like Vehicle Excise Duty. If it did, it could tax petrol and diesel cars much more heavily than electric cars, and this would speed up the transition away from fossil fuel vehicles. So we instead are pressuring the Government to put a more creative set of measures on the table.

Low Emission Zones will be a key way to speed up the transition. The Government also needs to deliver on promises to roll out electric charging points across the whole of Scotland to ensure that when more people do switch to electric, they are not burdened with “range anxiety.”

We need to be careful that electric cars are not seen as a panacea that will solve Scotland’s transport woes. Electric cars do nothing to tackle congestion and they do not help the 30% of households in Scotland that do not have access to private cars. The truer potential for making transport cleaner and fairer is via enabling more of us to walk,

Stop Climate Chaos calls for doubling of active travel budget in

cycle, and use public transport. So we have a task now to make sure that the Scottish Government does not get too narrowlyfocused and invest all of its ambition on transport onto this promise.

CYCLING & WALKING SPENDING What had been promised? £39m to be invested in walking and cycling per year, which equated to a measly 2% of the total Transport Budget.

Money matters: by heavily prioritizing building roads over creating cycle paths and pedestrian spaces, the Government has been maintaining cars as the dominant mode of transport. Investment in bigger roads

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Air Pollution / 11 COLIN HATTERSLEY

What next?

The increase in the active travel budget comes after years of grassroots and coalition campaigning from all corners of the environmental movement, from the volunteer-led Pedal on Parliament, to We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote, to Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. We need to make sure that projects are delivered on the ground, to be able to make the case for even more funding for cycling and walking schemes. Now more than ever, it is important to show support on the ground for budding cycling paths and/or pedestrian spaces.

BUSES What had been promised: Not much. For years the bus sector has been in rapid decline across Scotland (with the exception of Edinburgh).

n 2013. Sometimes these things just take time and persistence!

directly undermines efforts to tackle climate change and our air pollution crisis.

What’s changed?

The Scottish Government will “double investment in walking and cycling to £80m a year”. This is still far short of 10% of the total transport budget, but it is a significant increase and a signals a step change in the Government’s view of the importance of walking and cycling paths. Ambitious active travel proposals from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness were all granted funding to go ahead – the expectation was originally that only one would be funded. The projects include plans for a “Mini Holland” right through the heart of Glasgow City Centre which we are very much looking forward to seeing come to fruition.

What has changed?

The Government has promised to introduce a Transport Bill which will “provide local authorities with flexible options to improve bus services in their local areas”.

What’s next?

We will be pressing for the Transport Bill to enable councils to control bus fares, and to design and map out bus routes which serve the public better. This should ensure that bus services work for people rather than just for profit.

Let’s not be under any illusion that we are close to where we need to be on sustainable transport. But we can be buoyed by the recent commitments, and use them to strengthen our calls for clean air.

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12 / Climate Change

We’re facing a climate emergency:

SCOTLAND MUST DO MORE

By Caroline Rance, Climate and Energy Campaigner @CaroRance his is an important year for climate change campaigning in Scotland. A new climate law is in development that will set the levels of our climate action for decades to come, so it’s absolutely vital we get it right.

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temperature increase ‘well below 2oC above pre-industrial levels’ and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5oC, we have no time to waste. All countries need to do more, and Scotland is no exception.

We know the world is facing a climate emergency. Last year was the hottest ever recorded, beating the record set by 2015, which in turn beat 2014. This summer alone we saw the devastation caused by a string of hurricanes barreling across the US, deadly wildfires blazing throughout southern Europe, and lethal floods in Asia. And all this is happening at just 1oC of global warming so far.

It is clear that if the world is to meet the Paris Agreement aims of keeping the global

Earlier this year the Scottish Government launched a public consultation on their proposals for the new Climate Change Bill.

Unfortunately, their plans fall far short of the ambition and action that is so urgently needed to tackle the climate emergency and meet the Paris Agreement. In particular, they suggest doing almost nothing extra to reduce our climate emissions between now and 2030 – when the science clearly tells us this is the key time to act.

Delivering climate campaign postcards to Scottish Government

ESME ALLEN /SCCS

WHAT On EARTH • AuTuMn/WInTER 2017/18 COLIN HATTERSLEY

Scotland’s current Climate Change Act, passed in 2009, includes a target for reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 80% in 2050, compared with 1990 levels. The proposals put forward for the new Bill suggest updating that target to 90% by 2050, and only a 2% increase between now and 2030.

Friends of the Earth Scotland are calling for the new Climate Change Bill to cut our greenhouse gas emissions faster and further – we want to see a 77% reduction in climate emissions by 2030, and zero emissions by 2040.

We've made great progress since 2009, The Government’s advisors claim they don’t have the evidence to set a target for reaching cutting our greenhouse gas emissions by 42% compared with 1990 levels, and made net-zero emissions at present, but the huge strides in renewable energy – even ambition of our climate targets should be leading the way with the world's first floating shaped by what climate science and climate wind farm opened in October. We made real justice demands we do as part of progress recently but we know that we international agreements, not can go further. restricted by our limited version of Scotland current technology. Sweden and Nearly 20,000 people Catalonia have both passed has made huge responded to the new climate laws with zerostrides in renewable consultation over the emissions dates in the energy – even leading the summer, telling the last year, and the new way with the world's government they want to Prime Minister of New first floating see stronger targets. Thanks to Zealand has recently all of you who took our e-action or committing to doing the same. wind farm wrote your own responses, ran stalls Scotland needs to follow their lead. and collected postcards.

Together with our partners in the Stop Now, the government is analysing these Climate Chaos Scotland coalition, we’ve also thousands of consultation responses, and been calling for the Climate Bill to set out considering the feedback. We expect to see policies that will urgently cut emissions from a report on the consultation responses the areas which are the biggest sources of before Christmas, followed by the greenhouse gases in Scotland – transport, publication of a Climate Change Bill early agriculture and heating our buildings. So we next year. At that point, every MSP in were delighted to hear the First Minister Parliament will get a chance to vote on the Bill announce that Scotland will phase out the and even even make amendments. sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2032, a major campaign win!

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14 / Day of Action – Climate

DAYS of ACTION

By Caroline Rance, Climate and Energy Campaigner @CaroRance ctober saw thousands of people take to the streets worldwide for the first Friends of the Earth International Days of Action. People mobilised, marched, painted, cycled and sang across six continents, calling for climate justice and an end to dirty fossil fuels.

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We went to the Scottish Government headquarters in Edinburgh to raise the alarm on the climate emergency (see pic on p13).

With our giant globe showing the alarming temperature rises that are heating up the planet, we called on the Scottish Government to play their part in responding to the global emergency with a stronger Climate Change Bill. The globe was created using NASA satellite images which show the temperature changes across the world, the dark red areas showing the highest warming at over 4oC. We also shared the stories of people who are

already feeling the damaging effects of climate change on their lives, from farmers in Peru to crofters in the Outer Hebrides.

Local groups and activists across Scotland got involved too, holding street stalls and meeting with their MSPs to ask for their support on climate action.

Inspiring actions continued around the world – coal protests in Indonesia, demonstrations against new offshore oil in Togo, a climate justice cycle rally in Palestine, and protests against Trump and his plans to devastate the Environmental Protection Agency in the US. These Days of Action are just a snapshot of the incredible work of activists from every continent. All over the world, the fight against dirty energy is growing, and calls for a clean energy transformation are getting louder.

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Day of Action – Climate / 15

Left to right: uSA, Falkirk, Palestine, Edinburgh, Indonesia.

People Power can and must bring the necessary change to tackle the climate emergency.

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to follow suit and accelerate

climate action around the All over world. But if the the world, government fails to raise ambition, the the fight against signal it sends to other countries is dirty energy is that the Paris Agreement isn’t important. growing Climate change is a global

What happens now?

As you read this, the UN climate conference will just be closing in Bonn. Their task was to agree how best to meet the targets set in Paris. While Scotland’s emissions are only a small proportion of the global total, we still have an important role to play in these talks. As one of the first countries to set new climate legislation following the Paris Agreement, and Trump’s announcement to withdraw from it, we must set a positive example.

If Scotland seizes this chance and sets the bar high, we can encourage other countries

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problem, and it requires a global solution. We all need to play our part.

Over the next year, as the Climate Change Bill enters the Scottish Parliament and our MSPs vote on the issue, we will be running events and training workshops across Scotland to help you take action. We’ll also be organising a mass lobby at the Scottish Parliament with our partners in Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. We look forward to continuing to campaign with you.

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16 / Finance

New public bank could put wind in sails of SCOTLAND’S LOW CARBON TRANSITION

By Ric Lander, Finance Campaigner @ricjl n a speech hailed at the ‘greenest ever Programme for Government’ in September, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a raft of progressive policies.

One you might have missed was the proposal for a new ‘Scottish National Investment Bank’.

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• It could make Scotland greener and more equal. Scotland’s banking industry has failed to invest in Scotland’s future. Our new public bank could exclusively invest in green and socially just projects like modern social housing, public transport, and high-tech renewable heat and offshore wind power.

The Scottish Government says it wants Scotland to cut carbon emissions and a public bank could play a critical role in driving a transition away from fossil fuels. Objectives like weaning us off petrol and diesel vehicles and heating homes without fossil fuels are well intentioned but there’s not a lot of public money to ensure good intentions become a reality.

• It could invest in publicly-owned infrastructure, as well as ethical businesses. Private finance initiatives have burdened local government with chronic levels of debt. Our new public bank shouldn’t restrict its lending to private companies, it should combat austerity by underpinning public investment across Scotland.

The UK Government’s Green Investment Bank might have done some of this work, but was sold off to the private sector in August.

Councils might invest more but have been saddled by debt from previous projects funded by exorbitantly expensive publicprivate finance schemes. Private investors, like RBS, have time and again shown themselves to be ill-equipped to invest patiently in long-term projects. Something new is sorely needed.

A Scottish Government-backed investment bank has the potential to bring serious public money to accelerate the transition to a lowcarbon economy. What could a Scottish National Investment Bank do?

• It could be governed for the people of Scotland, by people who truly represent its diversity. People from all of Scotland’s regions, industrial sectors, of different genders, abilities and ethnic backgrounds rely on good, forward-looking economic policy.

Our new public bank should be free from dayto-day political interference and run by structures that give voice to marginalised groups, protect workers’ rights, and represent the diversity of people in our country.

Of course this Bank must not fund fossil fuels. But it can and should innovate in the sustainable economy, creating jobs that give meaningful and well-paid work, tackle inequality, and support communities currently reliant on fossil fuel jobs – crucial if

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Finance / 17

WHERE IS GREEN INVESTMENT NEEDED

RENEWABLES • 30 MW: power generated by the world’s first floating wind farm opened in Scotland in October 2017 • 86,000 MW: estimated amount of power that could be generated by floating wind farms in Scotland we are to avoid what happened to coalmining communities.

We have been working with partners to develop proposals for new public banks since our 2016 report ‘Banking for the Common Good’, with events in the UK and Scottish Parliaments and at party conferences.

Robin McAlpine from our partners Common Weal says: “This could be a really big, really transformative project for the Scottish Government. It is the kind of project future generations would thank us for.”

As a campaigning organisation we often spend our time fighting polluting industries bankrolled by the private banks. A new public bank provides a rare opportunity to create a financial institution that does things differently: a green and ethical bank that invests for the common good of the people of Scotland.

HOUSING • 150,000: people on social housing waiting lists • 700,000: people living in fuel poverty due to leaky homes

TRANSPORT Investing in public transport could help challenge dominance of cars 64% car 24% walking 8% bus 2% train 1% bike 64% 24% 8% 2% 1% 3% 3% other usual mode of travel in Scotland, 2016

18 / Scottish Independence

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Independence and lli Kontorravdis and Paul Daly were elected as FoES co-Chairs at our AGM in June, taking over from Eurig Scandrett & Máire McCormack. Elli has been a FoES board member for 2.5 years, serving as Secretary for 2 years. Elli works at Nourish Scotland as Policy & Campaigns Manager and is an environmental lawyer. Elli was previously active in Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, and chaired the South Belfast Local Group. Paul Daly has been a board member at FoES for 1.5 years, and is

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n April 2017 the FoES Board agreed by majority the following position: ‘An independent Scotland is likely to best serve the interests of the organisation and its mission, and we are minded to support an independent Scotland, subject to seeing the White Paper and certain assurances from the Scottish Government, based on the benefits of EU membership and the impact on nuclear weapons.’

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We chose the phrase ‘minded to support’ on purpose; it’s not an all-out statement of support at this stage, but rather that we recognise the potential benefits of continued EU membership and nuclear

also a former staff member, Paul worked as a campaigner at FoES for 2.5 years and has also worked at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. He currently works at both Amnesty International and Scottish Rural Action.

Elli and Paul asked for space to update members on discussions by the Board and the AGM on Scottish independence and membership of the EU since the last edition of What on Earth.

disarmament, but would need more information on the detail of any independence offer before making a firm decision.

This gives FoES the ability to leverage the best outcome for the environment as the discussions on Scotland’s place in Europe evolve. By participating in the discussions FoES is able to secure guarantees that may not otherwise be on the table. If those guarantees are not met, FoES would not support an independent Scotland and would have the option of publicly criticising whatever offer the Scottish Government made. There has been much deliberation by

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Scottish Independence / 19

d the environment the Board with input from staff before we came to this position, and whilst the decision was supported by the majority it was not unanimous.

making any firm decision. Both staff and Board are devoting time to agreeing these red lines, which will be grounded in FoES’ purpose and mission. As a Board we’ll be longlisting our red lines in November, and will keep members updated through this magazine.

One of the core values and strengths of FoES is that we are a grassroots We chose the movement, so the Board were The Board has a duty to keen to ensure that members phrase ‘minded to promote the best interests had a chance to participate. support’ on purpose; it’s of the organisation and During the AGM in June not an all-out statement of we take this very we hosted several support at this stage, but rather that seriously.

We know discussion groups we recognise the potential benefits that a great deal of our where attendees were of continued Eu membership environmental laws and able to share their views on and nuclear governance structures may no the opportunities and risks to disarmament longer be as fixed as many of us the environment. We collated and had expected they would be. One of analysed what members told us and the key themes members raised at the found there were strong feelings about AGM is that they want FoES to remain independence on all sides but with no firm influential in decisions which impact on the consensus on what was best for our environment – whatever the outcome of the environmental objectives – many members constitutional decisions being made across highlighted the lack of clarity around Brexit the UK are, there’s never been a more as one of the reasons for this. important time for FoES to be at the forefront of the conversation.

We’ve taken the key themes that came out of the member discussions and are committed to weaving these in to what we’re calling our ‘red lines’ – the guarantees FoES would need before

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20 / Young FoES

Young Friends of the Earth Scotland

By Kate Whitaker, YFoES @YFOES

News Update In the last few months since our skill share in April, the YFoES network has run a series of decentralised events across the country.

Our monthly ‘Drink and Thinks’ have continued in Edinburgh. This is an informal space for young people to discuss ideas and issues. It takes place at SHRUB, 13 Guthrie St, EH1 on the last Sunday of the month from 6pm-8pm.

YFoES members engaged passionately in the Climate Bill consultation, formulating our own youth response, running local events to help individuals respond to the consultation, and creating a video showcasing young people’s perspectives on climate action in Scotland.

Our first local group, Young Friends of the Earth Tayside and Fife, held a launch event in September. They discussed possible campaigns and projects that the group could take on. We are excited to see what comes next! Get in touch with them at YFoETF@gmail.com Network Gathering and AGM One of our key aims is to create spaces for young people to come together to share ideas, skills and resources. On October 14th we had a network gathering in the morning before our first AGM in the afternoon.

Over 30 young people from Dumfries, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen gathered in Glasgow to share their stories and make plans for the future. Members also participated in workshops on climate justice, the intersection between climate change and feminism, as well as legal observer training.

Hello from Steering Group

By Charlotte Shippey Our very first AGM also resulted in the creation of our very first Steering Group. This group is made up of young volunteers from different areas of Scotland – Dumfries, Edinburgh, Glasgow – with a couple of spaces open for other regions (go for it).

The Steering Group aims to make it easier to communicate and coordinate action between the many groups and campaigns that are active in various parts of the country.

We also hope that it will make it easier for you to influence the values, strategies and actions of YFoES regardless of where you live, to make us more democratic.

Your regional representatives (so far) are: Chris Valentine (Glasgow); Alan Munro (Edinburgh); Molly Newhouse (Edinburgh substitute); Irma Mullen (Dumfries) Other Steering Group members:

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Young FoES / 21

“ One of our key aims is to create spaces for young people to come together to share ideas, skills and resources.

Lea Oval, Charlotte Shippey & Louise McKeever.

October Days of Action YFoES members also participated in the International Days of Action. Members collectively decided they wanted to take action to highlight the high levels of air pollution on Scotland’s streets. To do this, we decorated Glasgow’s iconic Duke of Wellington statue, giving him a dust mask and substituting his regular cone with our own ‘high pollution levels’ flag. At the time of writing, our costume has stayed in place for over a week!

YFoEE Summer Camp As well as the Scottish based events, four members of YFoES got the opportunity to travel to the north of the Netherlands to participate in the Young Friends of the Earth Europe summer camp. The camp brought together almost 100 young activists from across the world, including representatives of the newly formed Young Friends of the Earth Africa. Participants spent a week in workshops, skill share sessions and visited nearby communities impacted by gas drilling in the province of Groningen.

Stay in touch: Facebook: @youngfoes Twitter: @YFOES Join our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cjWLJT

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WHAT On EARTH • AuTuMn/WInTER 2017/18

22 / news in Brief

Scottish Government reject environmental courts he Scottish Government has rejected calls for a specialist Environmental Court or Tribunal. The vast majority of respondents to a public consultation backed plans for a court and criticised the narrow approach taken to date on environmental justice by the Government.

Scotland has recently come under fire from the UN Aarhus Compliance Committee for its failure to tackle high costs and other barriers to taking legal action to protect the environment. An environmental court or tribunal could go some way to addressing these issues.

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Scotland’s own energy company eacting to the news that the Scottish Government will set up a publicly owned energy company, Dr Dixon commented: “The UK's energy system has long been rigged against the public and small scale producers by the big energy companies. We hope this decision will mean a better deal for energy users and tackle the serious problem of fuel poverty.

By generating large quantities of energy through wind, solar and other renewables when they reach commercial scale, the Scottish Government could be able to offer energy to people at cost price.“

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Just Transition Commission created e were delighted to welcome the news that a Just Transition Commission will be established to advise the Government on how to move the economy to ‘a more resource efficient and sustainable model in a fair way’. This was a key ask during the Climate Bill consultation campaign, and is an important element in ensuring that the benefits of moving to the low carbon economy are shared within Scotland.

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We know that tackling the climate emergency and reaching zero-emissions means a shift away from dirty fossil fuels and associated industries. That’s why we’ve been working with our Trade Union partners to ensure this is done in a way that is fair for the workers and communities who will be affected.

Together we will be meeting with the Scottish Government in the coming weeks to discuss the makeup of this commission and what the focus of it should be.

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Barra Community Wind Farm

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“We take so much from the planet during our lives, and it gives us so much pleasure, it seemed like the right thing to do to give something back for future generations.”

With the support of thousands of people like you, we’ve secured safer food and water, defended wildlife and natural habitats, defeated coal-burning power stations and delivered a world-leading climate act for Scotland.

We need to keep campaigning on these issues today. And we need to be Scotland’s voice for the planet tomorrow and in the years to come.

With your support, we can continue improving lives by inspiring effective solutions to environmental problems.

You don’t have to be wealthy to leave a gift in your will. A gift of any amount can help protect the environment.

You can call John on 0131 243 2717 for more information about leaving a gift in your will to Friends of the Earth Scotland or email jfitzgerald@foe.scot