Scotland needs a strong Climate Change Bill: You can 'click'
your MSP to deliver it
Reports from FIONA MONTGOMERY Information Devt Officer
One click on the UNISON Scotland green workplace website
allows people to send a message to their MSP backing the four
key 'asks' for the proposed Bill.
They include a new public sector duty ensuring that public
bodies must consider how all their decisions impact on climate
change - a duty similar to the equalities duties. Stop Climate
Chaos Scotland chair Mike Robinson said: "This bill is Scotland's
chance to really show world leadership."
"Climate change is not a future problem; for many of our
friends in the developing world it already means a tougher
environment in which to grow their crops, and for some it
has meant that their homes have literally been washed away
before their eyes.
"Those of us living in the developed world simply must take
responsibility for our actions and seriously cut back our
emissions. If the Scottish Government is prepared to actually
walk the walk and not just talk the talk, this could be one
of the most positive and historically significant bills in
our lifetimes."
UNISON Scotland, the first trade union to join the Stop Climate
Chaos Scotland coalition, has called for a major role for
the public sector in its consultation response to the Scottish
Government. This includes the public sector duty, which would
require annual reports on progress from all public bodies.
UNISON has also argued public bodies should be required to
negotiate a workplace environmental agreement with trade unions,
aimed at saving energy, cutting waste and reducing water use.
Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, warned in The Guardian in April that countries
like China and India need to be convinced that the developed
world is serious about drastically reducing greenhouse gas
emissions if they are to be persuaded to cut their own emissions.
So it's important that we all let our MSPs know that the
Scottish Government's planned bill must be strengthened. The
full UNISON Scotland response is available at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/greenworkplace
where you can click to ask your MSP to back our four asks:
- An 80% target for cutting carbon emissions by 2050;
- statutory annual reductions of at least 3% per year;
- include emissions from international aviation and shipping;
- place a duty on all public bodies to consider climate
change in all decisions and report on progress annually,
with negotiated green workplace agreements.
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