June 24th, 2016 by ie-admin24 June 2016 – On 23 June, 52% of the UK’s population voted in favour of the UK withdrawing from the European Union (EU) while 62% of Scottish voters supported remaining in the EU. Given that environmental legislation falls primarily within the competence of the EU, with 28 different Member States working together on common policies, the referendum result will have critical implications for Scotland’s environment.
Reacting to the referendum results, Scottish Environment LINK’s President Joyce McMillan said:
“This is a hugely significant vote. The UK’s journey towards a withdrawal from the EU will be a lengthy process, and it is critical that Scotland’s government and elected Members of the Scottish Parliament work together to ensure that the standards of environmental protection enshrined in European law are upheld and enhanced.”
“The UK electorate’s decision to vote in favour of leaving the EU does not change the fact that Scotland and the UK are facing tremendous challenges in terms of environmental degradation. Through the UK’s EU membership, Scotland has benefited from a number of critical pieces of EU environmental legislation such as EU Nature Laws, air and water quality. Now, the direction of travel for Scotland needs to be one that builds on those achievements, rather than one that seeks to weaken or undo the progress which our EU membership has helped us to secure. This is equally true for UN agreements to which the UK and Scotland have committed themselves via the EU, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change”, added Joyce.
EU Directives and Regulations continue to apply to Scotland and the UK until a withdrawal agreement is negotiated between the EU and the UK. “It is important that we continue to respect the EU laws to which we remain bound. Any failure to do so could result in court action and will damage existing relationships with EU partners. Environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss know no boundaries. This is why redefining our relationship with the EU and its member countries will be particularly important in the coming months. We look to our leaders here and in the UK to open discussions with all relevant stakeholders now, to consider the relationships we will need with Europe as a whole, and to ensure delivery of adequate environmental protection. A healthy, sustainable environment is the key to our future economy, health and wellbeing”, underlined Joyce, “and no change in political or constitutional structures alters the need for well-designed and well-enforced legislation to protect and maintain our precious natural environment.”
Scottish Environment LINK will be closely monitoring the UK’s and Scotland’s next steps in the process of EU membership withdrawal to ensure that protection of our environment is upheld and enhanced, at Scottish, UK and international levels.
Download the full press release here.
For more information please contact:
Daphne Vlastari, LINK Advocacy Officer
Email daphne@scotlink.org
Tel 0131 225 4345
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s environment organisations facilitating and enabling informed debate, information-sharing, discussion and joint action. Our 36 member organisations have cumulatively over 500,000 individual members, and represent a range of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
- According to Article 50 of the Treaty of the EU, an EU Member State wishing to withdraw from the EU needs to notify the European Council of its intention to exit the Union. A withdrawal agreement is negotiated between Council, on behalf of the EU, and the relevant Member State. EU law ceases to be applicable to the withdrawing Member State from the date of the withdrawal agreement enters into force or, failing that, within two years of the notification unless the Member State and Council both agree to extend this period. The agreement must set out the arrangements for withdrawal, including a framework for the Member State’s future relationship with the EU. The agreement is approved by the Council acting by qualified majority and the European Parliament needs to provide its consent.
- It is important to note that any national acts adopted in implementation or transposition of EU law would remain valid until the national authorities decide to amend or repeal them. More information on the process and timescale for an EU membership withdrawal can be found here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/577971/EPRS_BRI(2016)577971_EN.pdf
Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899). LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts.
Visit us at ukvps3.ie-dev.co.uk/scotlink-wordpress/ or follow us on @ScotLINK
LINKLocal, a project funded by Scottish Environment LINK, aims to link up Scotland’s campaigning and local action groups working on environment issues, read our press release below for full details, or to join, sign up here LINKLocal
6 April 2016 – The GDP figures released today show us that the Scottish economy grew by 0.2% in the last quarter of 2015 and by 1.9% over 2015 as a whole but tell us very little about whether Scotland is a better country to live in.
Scottish Environment LINK members believe that while too much attention is given to GDP figures, which only tell us how busy our economy is, not enough attention is given to the sort of economy we want or the resource base on which our economy relies. This seems particularly counter-intuitive given the Scottish government’s commitment to creating a more circular economy and a fairer society as a whole. Matthew Crighton, Convenor of LINK’s Economic Group, said “GDP is a poor proxy for success. It was designed to measure economic activity regardless of what the impact of that activity is, for example in terms of societal progress and wellbeing. Our preoccupation with GDP is akin to only watching the speedometer in our car and never looking at the fuel gauge. How can high GDP be a good thing if it is using up the natural resources our economy and wellbeing rely on?”
Our progress towards a fairer a more sustainable society should be measured against other indicators too, many of which are already included in the National Performance Framework. “A quick look at several important indicators, such as the recently added Natural Capital Index which measures the stock of natural assets that Scotland has such as biodiversity, soil health and freshwater quality, reveals that while GDP has steadily grown over the last four years, levels of natural capital have generally declined since 2006, although 2013 – 2014 saw a slight improvement. Other indicators, such as mental health are either static or declining. This is really important information enabling us to gauge the impact we are having on our environment and to track our progress towards a fairer and more sustainable society”, added Matthew.
Ahead of the Holyrood 2016 elections, LINK members call on Scottish political parties to put sustainable development at the core of their policy agendas by mainstreaming the use of NPF indicators to measure progress towards a fairer and more sustainable society.
Download the full press release here.
Notes to editors:
- Scottish Environment LINK is promoting a suite of indicators that can adequately reflect the wellbeing of society and the health of our environment as well as the state of our economy. Given the oft-quoted adage that ‘what we measure affects what we do’, it is argued that, through better indicators, public policy will be better guided. Link to Flourishing Scotland page and NPF paper http://www.scotlink.org/workareas/economics-forum/
Contact details
Matthew Crighton, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Convenor of LINK’s Economics Group: 0131 243 2700 or mcrighton@foe-scotland.org.uk
Daphne Vlastari, LINK Advocacy officer: 0131 225 4345 or daphne@scotlink.org
Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899). LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts.
Visit us at ukvps3.ie-dev.co.uk/scotlink-wordpress/ or follow us on @ScotLINK
Scottish Environment LINK welcomes the Scottish government’s update of the National Performance (NPF) indicators which takes us closer to realising the full potential of the NPF as a tool for measuring progress towards sustainable development.
“NPF is key to measuring government performance against quality of life and the state of our natural environment as well as economic indicators, and tracking progress towards sustainable development. Including indicators to measure the state of Scotland’s natural capital and ecosystems as well as accessibility to green spaces is therefore a step in the right direction”, said Deborah Long of Plantlife, member of LINK’s Economics Group. “However, to ensure that environment indicators such as the Natural Capital Index are a valuable addition to the NPF indicator suite, further investment is needed to measure the status of biodiversity at the base of ecosystems, such as flowering plants and pollinators. Our members are committed to supporting the Scottish government in this respect and will work with officials to roll out current and proposed monitoring schemes for plants and pollinators wherever possible”.
LINK members support the NPF and are confident that by incorporating social, economic and environmental metrics, it will be able to accurately measure Scotland’s transition towards a more sustainable and fair society. The addition of new indicators on underemployment and the living wage will give us a fuller picture of our economy and how it is contributing to wellbeing. Further progress could be made by incorporating indicators that tell us about the impact of our consumptive lifestyle in terms of the raw materials that we consume from around the world. This would also be in line with Scotland’s circular economy ambitions.
As indicated in LINK’s Holyrood 2016 manifesto, we hope that in the next parliament Scottish political parties will continue supporting an ambitious NPF that can tell us whether the policies and legislation we adopt are helping us make progress towards a sustainable Scotland.
Download the full press release here.
Contact details
Phoebe Cochrane, LINK Sustainable Economics Policy Officer at phoebe@scotlink.org or 0131 243 2723/ 07419 373320
Daphne Vlastari, LINK Advocacy Officer at daphne@scotlink.org or 0131 225 4345
Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899). LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts.
Visit us at ukvps3.ie-dev.co.uk/scotlink-wordpress/ or follow us on @ScotLINK
For more information visit about the NPF updates please visit: http://www.gov.scot/About/Performance/scotPerforms/NPFChanges#2016 refresh
The 76 MSPs who have participated in the Species Champions Initiative were thanked this evening for their work during the current parliament to support Scotland’s threatened wildlife. Scottish Environment LINK held a reception in Holyrood hosted by Rob Gibson MSP. Read more here.
Environmental organisations in Scotland have welcomed growing interest in creating a more circular economy, but warn that government should set resource use targets if it is to secure environmental benefits.
In advance of the Scottish Government releasing its forthcoming strategy on the circular economy late in February, Scottish Environment LINK commissioned a report to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the concept from the point of view of environmental NGOs. LINK thinks that the aspiration to create a more circular economy has enormous potential but only if its adoption drives genuine changes in the ways in which enterprises and government work.
Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, speaking on behalf of LINK’s Economics Group says: “The Circular Economy concept has great potential to reduce waste, save citizens and businesses cash, create jobs and reduce climate change emissions. It’s a great idea but it needs to be done right. We’ll be looking for the Scottish Government to produce a strategy which measures the fundamentals of our current over-use of materials, and demonstrates how its policies will make a real difference. Scotland has a chance to be a leader in tackling resource use in Europe if the Government produces a strong strategy next week.”
LINK’s report challenges the government on several points:
- The circular economy needs to be presented as an approach to achieve absolute (as opposed to relative) reduction in the rate of consumption of finite resources;
- If the Scottish Government is serious about the circular economy, metrics to measure natural resource use, waste generated and the degree of circularity need to be in place;
- There may be temptations to focus circular economy approaches in sectors in which competitive advantage could be achieved. LINK would like to see the principles of the circular economy adopted widely, especially where environmental gains might be largest.
LINK keenly awaits to see how these issues are addressed in the forthcoming Scottish Government Strategy and looks forward to engaging with government and other stakeholders to support Scotland’s transition to a more circular economy.
Download the press release here.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Phoebe Cochrane, LINK Sustainable Economics Policy Officer at phoebe@scotlink.org or 0131 243 2723/ 07419 373320
Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland at rdixon@foe-scotlandorg.uk or 0131 243 2700
Notes/links for editors:
- The circular economy alters material flows within the economy so that resources are retained in productive use for as long as possible, at the highest possible utility and value, through multiple cycles. Instead of being designed for disposal after use as in a linear economy, products are designed and made to be used again. Aspirations towards a more circular economy have become popular recently and the Scottish Government is seen as a leader in terms of embracing the concept and reviewing opportunities to adopt it.
- Scottish Environment LINK report ‘The Circular Economy: Implications for the Environment Movement’ was commissioned by LINK’s Economics Group and written by Andrew Llanwarne, IDEAction.
- The Scottish Government’s strategy paper on the circular economy, ‘Making Things Last’, is due to be published towards the end of February.
This statement is supported by LINK’s Economics Group.
Environmental groups welcome Scottish Government’s support of EU Nature Directives
Environmental groups across Scotland welcome the news that the Scottish Government does not wish to renegotiate the EU Nature Directives.
On Jan 26th, in answer to a parliamentary question on the subject of the directives, asked by Stewart Maxwell MSP, the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod MSP, answered: “Like the UK Government… we do not wish to seek the renegotiation of the directives.”
The UK and Welsh governments made similar announcements in December 2015, leaving only Northern Ireland to pledge their support in the UK.
As part of her answer the Minister also acknowledged that, “Scotland provides the largest component of the UK’s contribution to the European Union’s Natura 2000 network.” And that “the Scottish Government is continuing to participate in the European Commission’s ‘fitness check’ of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, the conclusions of which have yet to be determined.”
Deborah Long, Head of Plantlife Scotland and Convener of Scottish Environment LINK’s Land Group said:
“We are delighted that the Scottish Government has publicly stated their support for the EU Nature Directives.”
“Given the Scottish government’s support of the EU Nature Directives, we are now looking for effective government leadership on halting the loss of biodiversity by delivering on the ambitions of the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity. We need clear commitments from our government to lead and resource effective action across Scotland to halt the loss of biodiversity including through continued full implementation of the Nature Directives. LINK’s forthcoming manifesto for the 2016 election outlines what we expect to see political parties commit to as we go into the election, in order to enable Scotland to live within environmental limits.”
“Scotland’s environment and its landscape underpin our economy, our culture and as such the habitats and species that make it what it is need protection through law as well as conservation through partnership working. At Scottish Environment LINK we remain committed to speaking up for the environment and we are pleased to continue to work with government and our partners to ensure Scotland’s environment is in the best shape for future generations to enjoy.”
ENDS
For more information please contact:
The LINK Advocacy Officer, Daphne Vlastari on 0131 225 4345 or via email daphne@scotlink.org
or Deborah Long, Head of Plantlife Scotland and Convenor of Scottish Environment LINK’s Land Group on 07917691270 or via email deborah.long@plantlife.org
Notes/links for editors:
- The EU Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive are collectively known as the Nature Directives.
- In 2014 the EU announced their plans to carry out a fit for purpose review of the Nature Directives, known as the REFIT ‘Fitness Check’.
- On 30 April 2015 the European Commission launched its public consultation on the Nature Directives.
- In May 2015, 100 voluntary organisations across the UK – known as the ‘Joint Links Group’ and including Scottish Environment LINK – cited that the European Commission’s REFIT ‘Fitness Check’ of the Nature Directives is the biggest single threat to UK and European nature and biodiversity in a generation.
- To access the evidence submitted by the Joint Links group, please click here: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/evidence_gathering/index_en.htm
- Between April and July 2015 the European Commission ran a public consultation on the Nature Directives. Over 520,000 people across Europe spoke up to save these laws – more than three times higher than the response to any other Commission consultation.
- On 16 December 2015 EU Environment Ministers met to discuss how we meet our target to reverse wildlife declines by 2020. At this meeting UK Environment Minister, Rory Stewart, stated that the UK do not want to renegotiate the Nature Directives, and instead want to work with others on improving their implementation.
- The full parliamentary question referred to above can be found here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_ChamberDesk/WA20160126.pdf
- Conclusions for the Fitness Check are predicted to be announced later in 2016.
Scottish Environment LINK’s Land Group – a coalition of environmental charities campaigning to protect and recover Scotland’s wildlife – works together to build understanding of issues affecting land and freshwater in Scotland and to help deliver a sustainable future from these environmental assets in Scotland.
This statement is supported by the following organisations from LINK’s Land Group:
RSPB Scotland, Plantlife Scotland, National Trust for Scotland, Buglife, Marine Conservation Society, Froglife, Bat Conservation Trust, ARC, Butterfly Conservation Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust.
ScotLINK_Press_Release_environmental_groups_welcome_Scot_Gov_support_of_Nature_Directives_28Jan2016_FINAL
In response to the Scottish Government’s announcement about fisheries management in inshore Marine Protected Areas and Special Areas of Conservation
Environmental organisations have today welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement on managing fishing within Scotland’s network of marine protected areas (MPAs). The MPAs include some of the most vulnerable marine wildlife sites in Europe and some of the 30 areas designated in the summer of 2014 to protect a range of habitats and species including flameshell beds and the common skate. However, until now the areas have been at risk of potentially irreversible damage from some fishing activities. The new proposals for fisheries management in the MPAs will help move the most damaging activities away from sensitive habitats.
