Cathie Lloyd offers first thoughts on the likely impact of the US election result on international action on the environment
Trump’s election is likely to present serious problems for any action to limit the climate crisis. An editorial ‘explainer’ in The Guardian itemised likely consequences of a new Trump administration: unfettered oil and gas extraction, a headlong rush to undo green energy projects in favour of cheaper fossil fuels, an ideological attack on scientific work on the climate (the previous Trump administration stopped government agencies from collecting climate data), and disruption of international cooperation such as aid following climate disasters and cooperation to reduce methane and deforestation. The US is expected to withdraw from the Paris climate treaty originally signed in 2016.
These potentially devastating backward steps come at a time when the COP 16 biodiversity conference in Colombia has failed to agree on funding for the protection of nature and the monitoring of targets. There was little progress on reforming environmentally harmful subsidies, protected areas and national plans. The sole breakthrough was on funding for profits from natural genetic information. About half of the proceeds from this fund will now go to indigenous communities who will now have a permanent role in biodiversity decision making. There was no agreement for a fund for natural protection nor a plan for monitoring biodiversity targets. One indication of how unsatisfactory the conference was is that the organisers were forced to schedule another interim meeting next year because so many countries lacked the budget to change their flight plans to accommodate unfinished business.
Weather events connected to the climate crisis continue to grab headlines – exceptionally severe hurricanes in the Caribbean were reported in September and water shortages in New England. Following torrential rain in South East Spain more than 200 people have died. The region was unprepared for urgent evacuation of the population. Extraordinary weather has also been reported from North Africa and parts of the Middle East, unaccustomed to flooding. In a response from Scotland to this frightening evidence that the disasters that catastrophic climate breakdown will bring are actually here already, some direct-action ‘tyre extinguisher’ activists in Edinburgh targeted SUVs.
Global carbon emissions have reached the highest ever recorded, although the EU seems to be trending in the opposite direction with an 8% reduction. However EU farm subsidies appear to be exacerbating carbon production.
Greenwashing in the form of carbon offsetting which we discussed recently is hindering the move to net zero. An example we know well is that of Drax, in Yorkshire: research has shown that it will continue to burn fossil fuels until 2050.
On a brighter note, there are a number of legal cases against companies claiming to be implementing green policies, Santos in Australia and Rosebank here.
More broadly, what developments are currently taking place in Scotland to address the climate crisis? The government has passed legislation in Holyrood on emission reduction targets, a pithy technical measure to tighten the reporting of five yearly carbon reduction plans. This is intended to respond to criticisms of the lax implementation of overambitious targets and will help to ensure that we fulfil our commitments, surely the best answer to our critics.
There are concerning developments, however. The Ferret reports alarmingly high emissions of the radioactive gas tritium from the naval depot at Coulport, and there is a campaign in the Highlands on the safety of new battery storage facilities in remote areas, as in Garve (Wester Ross) and Berwickshire, sited uncomfortably near homes.
A motion is due for debate at the forthcoming SNP congress for there to be an assessment of zonal pricing for energy. This would aim to address the inequalities arising from the huge disparity due to higher energy prices in places like the Highlands where windfarms produce it. There is resistance to zonal pricing from large corporations.
Given the febrile political situation, it is important that we scrutinise some of the extravagant policy claims being made by the UK Labour government, including those which they say evidence the ways that Scotland benefits from being an integral part of the union state. Much has been made of Great British Energy being headquartered in Aberdeen. It has now become clear that GBE will share a building with other companies involved in oil and gas extraction, and that its head Jürgen Maier, will be based in Manchester.
Published 13 November 2024.