World must prioritise climate change

Every nation must continue to prioritise climate change, a Scottish representative at a UN conference has said.
Conservative Scottish MEP Ian Duncan, a member of the European Parliament’s ENVI committee, is part of the EU’s contingent attending the climate change conference in Lima, Peru.
The 12 day conference is the focus for world leaders as pressure grows for further action to cut carbon emissions and tackle global warming.
In a regular blog on the talks, which started on Monday, Duncan said much could be achieved in Lima, but a roadmap to a global deal could be “elusive”.
He said the Green Climate Fund, which the UK has contributed $1.1bn to (third behind the US and Japan) will show whether a global deal can be achieved.
He said: “Money talks, and if developed nations are committed to a global deal, they will make substantial contributions to the Green Climate Fund, and agree on how that money will be spent.
“However, while this may seem like cause for celebration, already there is controversy surrounding how the fund is being spent, with reports emerging this week that up to one billion dollars of Japan’s contribution has been earmarked to help build three coal fired stations.”
And he added that Scotland needed to follow up on its pledges on action on climate change.
“We have some of the world’s most ambitious climate change targets - a reduction of 42% of greenhouse gases by 2020. Yet to date we haven’t met a single annual target underpinning it. By positing ourselves as a world leader, we cannot ignore the gauntlet we have thrown down.” 
To read Ian Duncan’s full blog go here.