Committee on Climate Change to open new base in Scotland

The Scottish Government will help establish a new office for the Committee on Climate Change in Scotland, Roseanna Cunningham has announced.

Speaking at SNP conference in Aberdeen, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform said the new CCC office would bring a team of experts to focus purely on advice and analysis for Scotland.

She also outlined plans for a network of ‘climate action towns’ across the country, backed by £1m in funding, while pledging to publish a new climate change plan next year, with details on how Scotland will meet emission reduction targets.

The Scottish Parliament voted to pass the Climate Change Bill last month after MSPs backed a Scottish Labour amendment aimed at strengthening targets.

The bill was passed by 113 votes to zero, with the Scottish Greens abstaining after MSPs rejected the party’s bid to target an 80 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.

Cunningham said: “The Green Deal the First Minister announced in September is just the first in a series of bold steps we will take.

“Communities are key in this work. Through the Climate Challenge Fund we have already invested over £100 million in support of climate action projects and initiatives all over the country.

“But we know that people want to do more and we cannot allow some communities to be left behind. Particularly those who stand to lose most from climate change and therefore have the most to gain from a low carbon sustainable future.  

“I want to support Scotland’s small towns to play their part -  to reduce what they use, to recycle more, to cut their emissions, to become carbon neutral, and in doing so, to know that they will be building a more sustainable future for the next generation.

“I want to see Climate Action Towns the length and breadth of Scotland. I can therefore announce today I will set out a blueprint for a network of Climate Action Towns and provide £1 million to support Scotland’s small towns to get started on action to tackle climate change.”