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Tackle Climate Change
Everyone recognises that climate change emissions must
be reduced if Scotland, and the rest of the world, is not to see massive
environmental and social damage. We want to see the Scottish transport sector
play its proper part in delivering reductions in climate change emissions.
Unfortunately, Scotland’s transport sector is currently failing to
take serious action. Traffic levels are forecast to increase by a further
27% by 2021. With climate change taking hold, and with the prospect of global
oil production peaking in the next few years, road traffic reduction must
become a major policy aim.
For this to happen we need to see:
- Scottish Executive policy on climate change to prioritise
action on reducing emissions from the transport sector
- Action to reduce road traffic levels - we believe that
this is the only realistic means by which climate emissions from road
transport can be reduced
- Stop building new traffic-generating roads - such as
the M74 Northern Extension and the Aberdeen western bypass
- Rein in the currently uncontrolled expansion of air
transport – the most polluting and energy inefficient mode of
travel – and for domestic flights to be substituted by high-speed
rail
- The application of the ‘polluter pays principle’
in transport - most cars, lorries or air transport currently do not
pay for their full environmental and social costs.
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