Climate Change

Speech by Jim Hume MSP on Wed 28th May 2008

Thank you presiding officer.

Climate change is hugely complex. Liberal Democrats are pleased to see the Climate Change Bill consultation being progressed, albeit delayed.

We have proposed ambitious but achievable targets as outlined by Alison McInnes and I believe that work to tackle climate must begin now, the Stern report emphasised the importance of speedy action.

Liberal Democrats support the Bill's headline target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050, but there is no clarity of how the government will achieve this. Just 10 pages out of 93 are devoted to the supporting measures.

Constituents often complain to me about the lack of decent integrated public transport in the South of Scotland: there aren't enough buses; routes don't match; we're still waiting on the Borders Railway starting; the complaints are endless. People are forced to use their cars as an essential way to and from work - a necessary tool. I myself live in the heart of the South of Scotland, but12 miles from the nearest town and have no option, like many others but to use motorised transport, but at least I tend to use two rather than four wheels to get around. Cabinet Secretary "when are you going to get on yer bike?"

The SNP has increased funding for motorways yet slashed funding for public and sustainable transport. And where have the annual legally binding targets gone. I hope the Scottish Government is serious about tackling climate change.

(I hae ma doots.)

and so doesTransform Scotland who said:- "it is difficult to believe there will be reductions in emissions from transport if we are to see spending on roads go up by a third".

Friends of the Earth said of the extra £30m to tackle climate change:- "even the extra investment will not deliver the government's commitment to deliver emissions' reductions of at least 80% by 2050."

Presiding officer, Liberal Democrats in Westminster and Holyrood know what has to be done to tackle climate change. We have set out a comprehensive set of policies relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation within the UK. We have a clear, long-term strategy for tackling climate change and reducing emissions across the whole economy with outlined measures to make the UK carbon neutral by the year 2050.

These plans are the first attempt of any British political party to tackle carbon emissions from every part of the economy: transport, energy, housing, offices and factories.

(Let's look at the evidence. )

(Liberal Democrats led the way by setting the first ever Scottish climate change target to exceed our share of the UK carbon savings by an additional one million tonnes in 2010. )

(Liberal Democrats invested more in renewables and energy efficiency support than any other part of the UK. Scotland's first target on renewable generation - 18% by 2010 - was met three years ahead of schedule.)

What we need to see now are clearly defined and detailed plans from the Scottish Government on how they will tackle climate change. We hear the rhetoric from Mr Swinney and his colleagues about climate change being the biggest challenge faced by the world, but what we need now are real answers with real plans and real annual targets.

I am sure the DP would agree with me that there are enough greenhouse gases going around.

Thank you