Thursday 20-07-2017 - 15:58

Every year the research we run proves what we’ve been suspecting for decades – students want to learn more and use their education to take action for a cleaner more positive future. 2/3 of students think we are already feeling the effects of climate change in the UK and 86 per cent of them think the government should take ambitious action to combat climate change. 

By making our voices heard, we can join thousands of other people in Scotland demanding a world-leading Climate Change Bill from politicians.

NUS Scotland is proud to work with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) on their campaign ‘Act for Our Future’, to call for a Climate Change Bill that creates both world leading ambition and the policies required for delivery. For students today it is particularly relevant to start working towards a plan which creates jobs, improves health and reduce poverty, thus overall increasing and safeguarding the wellbeing of generations to come. We also want to ensure Scotland keeps playing its part in helping the poorest people in the world cope with the effects of climate change. 

Saying that, current Scottish Government plans fall well short of the level needed if Scotland is to be at the forefront of delivering the international agreement signed by 197 countries 18 months ago in Paris.

As Dr Richard Dixon of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland says: “A Bill that truly delivers on the Paris Agreement must be one that says, by 2050 at the latest Scotland will no longer be contributing to the global problem of climate change, and that steps-up action in the short-term to cut emissions from our homes, our travel and our food.”

We want our future to be a zero carbon one and we have over 30 years of work planned ahead of us to get to that point. It will be high targets that drives our transition, not comfortable ones and the forthcoming Bill is the perfect platform. 

In order for the new Climate Bill to match the ambition of the Paris Agreement, it must:

• Set a target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest, and a reduction of 77% by 2030
• Ensure that future finance budgets are consistent with our climate targets  
• Commit to actions that cut emissions and deliver a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous Scotland by:
  • Making all homes efficient and warm:  Ensure that all homes have at least Energy Performance Rating ‘C’ by 2025. 
  • Cleaner transport: phase out the sale of new fossil fuel cars by 2030 to reduce emissions, clean up air pollution and improve the nation’s health. 
  • Greener farming: Set a nitrogen budget for Scotland by 2020. 

Get involved 

Add your name to the e-action here: https://act.foe.scot/climate-action 

Share it widely with classmates and friends – students voices shouldn’t be missed from this crucial debate on our very futures!

 

Notes:

On Friday 30th June the Scottish Govenrment set out its plans for the Climate Change Bill in a public consultation: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/8208