Tuesday 31st January 2012

• Recent emission reductions due to recession, not government measures
• Emissions now rising, new government measures needed

An independent UK watchdog has today increased the pressure on the Scottish Government to amend the budget to ensure Scotland meets the targets set out in the Scottish Climate Change Act. [1]

Thanks to everyone who came along and made this event a success

Click here to check out some more photos from the event. More photos soon!

Over 350 people, most of them on their bikes, gathered outside the office of the Scottish Government on Wednesday 11th January to urge Scottish Ministers to increase funding for cycling and walking instead of funding expensive road-building programmes that will increase Scotland’s carbon footprint.

Reacting to the news that BAA will not be submitting their application to expand Heathrow with a third runway, Stop Climate Chaos Coalition director Ashok Sinha said,

A new runway at Heathrow would have increased the UK’s carbon emissions. This welcome decision to shelve Heathrow’s expansion plans instead increases our chances of preventing catastrophic climate change. As the Climate Change Committee said today, we now urgently need a step change increase in our effort to deliver a low carbon economy – creating large numbers of new jobs and business opportunities along the way.

In a manifesto launched today, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged UK leadership in tackling climate change during the run-up to the UN climate summit in Copenhagen this December. Alongside the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband, he has outlined his vision for a new deal where the emissions of developed nations will peak by 2020 (we believe the deal should be no later than 2015) and decline thereafter.

In the build up to the Climate Change talks in Copenhagen, Campaign against Climate Change is holding a Climate Emergency Parliament, using the proposals in their online parliament.

On Wednesday 15th Julyat 6pm, Parliament Square will be filling Parliament Square discussing bills on:
1. 10% reductions in UK Greenhouse gases by the end of 2010
2. A million Green Jobs and emergency insulation program
3. Banning all domestic flights by the end of 2010
4. A 55 mph national speed limit