With Edinburgh going to the polls on 5 May we asked each of the main political parties in the city to set out their response to the climate emergency.
In the coming days we will post the replies from each of the parties to our letter, which is outlined below.
We are now just eight years away from having to hit our 2030 goals and secure the benefits of a net zero transition for all.
The next City of Edinburgh Council will have a hugely important role to play to turn policy into action, to turn rhetoric into benefit and put us on track to net zero.
Our letter to the main political parties in Edinburgh
In advance of the local elections this spring the Edinburgh Climate Commission is writing to the five main political parties to ask them to renew their commitment to the City’s net zero 2030 target.
Two years into this critical decade of delivery the forthcoming election must mark an acceleration in our collective efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
Our shared response, led by the next City of Edinburgh Council, has the potential to deliver lasting positive benefits to the people of Edinburgh. From high quality job creation to improved public health, from innovation to enterprise and community resilience, the actions we must take in the coming months to deliver net zero are essential to the prosperity of Scotland’s capital city.
Armed with the recently published net zero strategy and at a time when concern about climate change has never been higher, we ask that each of the main political parties commit to:
- Renew their commitment to the City’s 2030 net zero goal and the implementation of the 2030 Climate Strategy, the City Plan and the City Mobility Plan.
- Deliver a low carbon transport system with a 30% reduction in traffic by 2030.
- Champion and demonstrate the accelerated deployment of energy efficiency and zero carbon emission heating measures across the public estate and private housing of Edinburgh.
- Work alongside partners to enable a Just Transition; one that ensures opportunities are available to all.
- Highlight the importance of climate adaptation across the city and deliver a programme of investment to improve resilience for communities.
Edinburgh Climate Commission will continue to champion action on climate change in the year ahead and work with partners across the city to help to deliver the climate transition we need.
The Commission will review the responses from each of the parties and publish a summary on its website in advance of the May elections.
Many thanks for your careful consideration of this letter and its request.
Yours sincerely
Sam Gardner
Chair Edinburgh Climate Commission
