This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Granite City leads way on climate change
03/10/2002
Aberdeen City Council was today commended for becoming
the first Scottish council to publish a Climate Change
Action Plan.
The plan sets out a range of measures designed to tackle
climate change, and responds to Community Leadership and
Climate Change in Scotland, guidance which was issued last
October by the Executive, SOLACE (Scotland) and CoSLA.
The plan seeks to involve the community in measures
designed to tackle climate change, through various aims,
including informing the public of the local and worldwide
effects of global warming, and encouraging business,
community groups and individuals to develop local action
plans to reduce climate change.
Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development
Allan Wilson said:
"Scottish Ministers are committed to tackling climate
change, but an effective strategy to tackle climate change
must engage with local communities. The publication of
Aberdeen City Council's climate change action plan
underlines its commitment to lead the response in its own
community.
"The Council's efforts contribute to the Scottish
Climate Change Programme aimed at reducing emissions of
greenhouse gases in Scotland. The Plan will act as an
incentive to others to reduce their emissions of greenhouse
gases which are contributing to change, and increase their
capacity to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate
change."
Copies of Aberdeen City Council's Climate Change Action
Plan are available from Dawn Schultz, Marketing Executive,
City Development, Aberdeen City Council on (01224)
523128.
Community Leadership and Climate Change in Scotland:
Guidance for Chief Executives of Scottish Local Authorities
provides guidance to councils on reducing energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights
the actions local authorities can take which will also
contribute towards wider objectives in areas such as social
justice and health improvements.
Findings of research for the UK Climate Impacts
Programme forecasts that, by the 2080's, Scotland will be
warmer with wetter winters and much less snowfall. Rising
sea levels will threaten low lying coastal areas and more
storm rainfall will bring a risk of more floods.
The Scottish Climate Change Programme details measures
in devolved areas aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse
gases believed to be causing climate change. This
programme of measures contributes to the UK Climate Change
Programme which was also published in November.
The UK Programme contains measures aimed at delivering
the UK Kyoto commitment of a 12.5% reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions by 2008-2012 and moving the UK as a whole
toward the domestic goal of a 20% reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions by 2010.
Data published in Greenhouse Gas Inventories for
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990-1999
shows that emissions of greenhouse gases in Scotland
dropped by almost 5% between 1990 and 1999.