An independent Scotland will bid to hold a climate summit here in Scotland.
SNP Environment Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, and Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie, have joined forces to announce today that an independent Scotland will bid to hold the annual UN climate talks.
The annual talks which will be held in Lima, Peru this year, bring together world leaders, diplomats, and climate experts to help bring consensus to tackle climate change.
An independent Scotland – which has the world’s toughest climate targets and one of the steepest drops in carbon emissions in western Europe – would be in an excellent place to drive for greatest global action.
The bid will come on the back of Glasgow’s excellent hosting of the Commonwealth Games, and if it is successful would bring around 10,000 people to Scotland – giving a major boost to the economy.
Commenting Paul Wheelhouse said:
“An independent Scotland will not just have a seat at the top table, on this key global issue we will seek to bring the top table to Scotland. Scotland has an excellent story to tell on climate change. We have world leading climate change targets and have one of the steepest drops in emissions in western Europe.
“Reducing emissions and tackling climate change isn’t easy – but it’s necessary. Scotland is making real progress in reducing our emissions– and that’s despite new data making us realise that the task is even harder than when we set the targets.
“But reducing Scotland’s carbon emissions on its own isn’t enough – what we need to do is use Scotland’s story to tell and show other countries that this can be done – that they should share Scotland’s ambition. Without independence that is very difficult, but with the powers of independence and, crucially, the international representation that it brings, we can more effectively take Scotland’s story to the world.”
Scottish Green Party co-convener, Patrick Harvie said:
“Scotland is the only country which has managed not only to set ambitious legally binding climate targets, but to do so with complete agreement across the political spectrum despite our other differences. We must step up our effort to meet them, but independence would also give Scotland the chance to use our experience, political will and passion on this issue to influence the global debate on climate change as a nation with a very positive story to tell.
“With independence we will be able to unite with other progressive nations – and crucially those from developing countries – to demand more urgent global action on reducing emissions and breaking our dependence on fossil fuels.
“There is no better way for a country like Scotland to influence this process than by chairing the actual climate talks themselves – and that can only happen with independence.”
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