18 November 2014
Low Emissions Strategy
Heaping responsibility on Local Authorities will ensure failure; Need for Scottish Ministers to take action themselves
Transform Scotland [1] have today (Tue 18 Nov) responded to the launch of the Scottish Government's 'Draft Low Emissions Strategy'.
Transform Scotland director Colin Howden said:
"The promotion of Low Emission Zones is of course the right thing for the Scottish Ministers to be doing: they've worked in hundreds of other towns and cities, and it is time now for Scotland to catch up. But by heaping the responsibility for taking action on to the Local Authorities, we see little likelihood of success. The Scottish Ministers should be financially incentivising Local Authorities to tackle air pollution by rewarding those who pledge to take action with funds for investment in better local transport systems. Under this strategy, Local Authorities would seem to bear all of the financial burden at a time when their budgets are already severely constrained."
Colin Howden continued:
"The Scottish Ministers are also being somewhat cheeky in instructing Local Authorities to take action when they themselves have such a poor record on emissions. Whether it be their series of missed climate targets, their lobbying for cuts in aviation tax, or their £9 billion road-building programme, the Scottish Ministers themselves have a terrible record on tackling emissions. This Strategy is bereft of the transport policy changes that would allow Ministers to meet their own responsibility to protect public health and reduce emissions."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] Transform Scotland
Transform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups - see <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/members.aspx> for details.
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