Woody Biomass for Energy: NGO Concerns and Recommendations

This report, published by Client Earth and supported by Friends of the Earth Scotland and a host of other environmental organisations, examines what impact the EU Renewable Energy Directive will have on the world's forests.

Tipping the Scales

This report briefly examines Scotland’s Aarhus Convention obligations in relation to access to justice and the current status quo.

The Power of Scotland Explained

How can we cope with the variability of renewable energy?  Do we need some coal, gas and nuclear in Scotland to keep the lights on when the wind drops?  Electricity only meets a quarter of all our energy needs; what can we do about emissions from transport and heating?What is electricity anyway?

Dirty Money: corporate greenwash and RBS coal finance

This report, written by Platform and co-published by FoES, examines the Royal Bank of Scotland's efforts to promote itself as a genuine actor in climate change efforts. Using Bloomberg data this report compares RBS’ environmental rhetoric with the bank’s financing of coal companies around the world in the last three years, and examines the efforts of civil society to date to pressure the bank to adopt more climate-friendly policies.

Companies' Obligations to Respect Human Rights Abroad

Joint statement of Friends of the Earth International and a host of other organisations commenting on the UN's "Draft Guiding Principles for the Implementation of the UN protect, respect and remedy framework". The statement emphasizes that business enterprises are legally bound to respect human rights at home and abroad.Download joint statement

States' Obligations to Respect and Protect Human Rights Abroad

Joint statement of Friends of the Earth International and a host of other organisations commenting on the UN's "Draft Guiding Principles for the Implementation of the UN protect, respect and remedy framework". The statement criticises the draft for understating the obligations of states under international human rights law.download joint statement

The Power of Scotland Secured

Scotland could phase out all fossil fuel and nuclear power by 2030, maintain a secure electricity supply and generate significant revenue from renewable exports, according to new research by one of the world's leading energy consultants, Garrad Hassan.

42% Better

Friends of the Earth Scotland report "42% Better" outlines the feasibility and added value of meeting Scotland's climate change target for 2020.

Make it Happen: From Oyal Bank of Scotland to Royal Bank of Sustainability

A new Friends of the Earth Scotland report about turning the Royal Bank of Scotland into a Green Investment Bank. 

Tar Sands: Fuelling the climate crisis, undermining EU energy security and damaging development objectives

Pressure is on high-level representatives from the EU and Canada to discuss the issue of tar sands and Europe’s aim to limit greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels through its Fuel Quality Directive.

Cashing in on Tar Sands: RBS, UK banks and Canada’s “blood oil”

The recent rise in oil prices has increased the popularity of bitumen as a fuel source. Tar sands extraction in Canada is devastating Indigenous communities, wildlife and vast areas of boreal forests.

Banking on Carbon Accountability 2

Financial institutions are in a unique position to influence greenhouse gas emissions through investment. However, current carbon reporting fails to capture this opportunity.

Royal Bank of Sustainability

In October 2008, the UK government purchased shares in a number of troubled banks. It manages these shareholdings at arms-length, through UK Financial Investments (UKFI), a government owned company specially set up for the purpose.

Power of Scotland Renewed

Decarbonising our energy supply is at the heart of the challenge to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. This report shows that it is possible to have a clean, green energy supply in Scotland.

MSP Home Energy Challenge

In 2008 six MSPs participated in a challenge to reduce carbon emissions in their homes. 

Green Foundations 2009

Launched at the House of Commons, the report draws on new evidence and research that substantiates a positive interaction between high quality environmental regulation and economic growth – enabling companies to become more efficient and productive, and creating new opportunities to secure the jobs and wealth of the future.

Time to Act on Climate Change

Scottish Environment LINK (LINK) – the liaison body for Scotland’s voluntary sector environmental bodies – believes that urgent action on climate change is needed now, and wants to play a constructive part in helping to bring about the necessary response. This report sets out LINK’s views on the main issues we believe must be addressed if climate change is to be tackled effectively in Scotland. 

Time to act on climate change - A clarion call from Scotland’s environmental movement

This report identifies environmental changes already happening in Scotland and suggests ways that we should respond and adapt to the challenges we already face, as well as looking forward to tackle climate change in the long term. It includes proposals for climate change mitigation and urges Scotland take the lead to protect our environment instead of waiting for other governments to make the first move.Time to act on climate change 

Cashing in on Coal

There has never been a clearer global consensus about the urgent need for large cuts in carbon emissions as soon as possible if the most catastrophic impacts of climate change are to be avoided. Despite this knowledge, coal, which is the most emissions intensive fossil fuel, is experiencing a global boom. Some banks see opportunities in this boom, and have been all too quick to forget previous expressions of concern about climate change. 

Better Regulation for a Sustainable Built Environment

This report finds that, despite ambitious Government targets, current policy and regulation is fragmented, inconsistent and poorly applied. The report also urges Government to do more to address the performance of the existing stock and is critical of what it sees as a lack of urgency in the way that the Government and other public authorities deal with their own estates.

Better Regulation for a Sustainable Built Environment

The built environment is the fabric within which most of us in the UK lead our daily lives.  Our homes, offices, schools, hospitals, leisure facilities, public buildings, and the infrastructure which supports and connects them, are central to the way in which we live, work and spend our leisure time. Evidence suggests that the carbon footprint of existing domestic and commercial buildings continues to grow; and all the while we only replace buildings – currently a resource intensive activity in itself – at a rate of between 1% and 1.5% per year.

Trading for Growth: The role of EU ETS in cutting emissions and stimulating wealth creation

The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is undoubtedly the single most important policy instrument for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, if not the world. This briefing by the Aldersgate Group looks at how the EU Emissions Trading Scheme can best deliver the necessary cuts in carbon emissions and maximise the economic benefits that can flow from higher environmental standards.

Carbon Costs: Corporate Carbon Accounting and Reporting

Climate change is the single biggest environmental challenge we face. Whilst the changes and costs become ever clearer, we are only just starting to get to grips with what needs to be done. New strategies, initiatives, funds, tools and techniques emerge every day.The purpose of this report is to present the key issues, evidence and proposal for action so that the UK can be at the forefront and reaffirm its leading position in the financial markets in the world.

The Oil & Gas Bank: RBS & the financing of climate change

The Royal Bank of Scotland is the primary UK bank financing new extraction of the fossil fuels whose use is accelerating the planet’s atmosphere towards its climatic tipping point. Despite creating a public image as a “good neighbour” through sponsorship of sports and the arts, RBS business activities have major destructive impacts on the environment and society. This report explores the close relationship RBS has with the petroleum industry and places this in context with the current threat of climate change.

The Power of Scotland: Cutting Carbon with Scotland's Renewable Energy

Reducing carbon emissions from electricity generation is a key part of the Scottish Executive’s climate change programme, with an ambitious target set for 40% of electricity consumption in Scotland to come from renewable sources by 2020. With increasing demand for electricity and the impending closures of existing fossil fuel and nuclear electricity generating plants, questions have been raised over the ability of renewable energy to meet our needs and reduce carbon emissions, without compromising environmental protection in sensitive sites.

Environmental justice in Scotland - just words? A view from the outside

This report by Prof. Werner Maschewsky, of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, defines and extrapolates the concept of EJ, referring to the USA, before applying it to the Scottish understanding of deprivation and inequity. Prof. Maschewsky offers a summary of the situation we are in, and provides recommendations to improve it.Environmental justice in Scotland - just words? A view from the outside

Love Thy Neighbour? The Potential for Good Neighbour Agreements in Scotland

This report first outlines the nature and potential of GNAs (Chapter 1), and then turns to lessons from experience with GNAs in Scotland and elsewhere – particularly the US (Chapter 2). Chapter 2 also draws lessons from literature on other negotiated and voluntary agreements. Chapter 3 examines how GNAs might work in Scotland – in particular, considering potential for GNAs to be linked to planning permissions or pollution licenses, or to stand alone as private legal agreements. It also anticipates concerns that businesses might raise.

Report on the Introduction of a Third Party Right of Appeal in Scotland

Friends of the Earth Scotland has long campaigned for a third party right of appeal (TPRA) in planning within a widescale review of the planning system.  We have worked with many communities around Scotland who have had no recourse against planning decisions which they felt were unjust, except by campaigning for a costly and confrontational public local inquiry, or a judicial review, where the odds are stacked  against them.  Developers have the right to appeal against a refusal of their application, and have deep pockets to fund their appeals.

Carbon Dinosaurs

This report highlights the role of coal-fired power stations in UK climate and energy policy. Friends of the Earth is calling for the emissions of carbon dioxide from coal fired power stations to be halved by the end of the decade by halving the amount of electricity produced in these stations.  To keep us on track with long term emission reduction targets output should be further reduced to just 20% of today’s levels by 2020.Carbon Dinosaurs

Access All Areas - Report on the campaign for Freedom of Information

The aims of the Access All Areas campaign were to test the current systems of information provision which are operated by public bodies, to highlight issues of concern and to force improvements in current practice.  By finding out how well public authorities operate this legislation and Code of Practice, respectively, the campaign aimed to, firstly, highlight any current problems and, secondly, use this information to influence the formulation of new freedom of information legislation.

Counting Chemicals: Developing a Pollution Release and Transfer Register for Scotland

Freedom of information and access to environmental information have, in recent years, come to the forefront of international political and environmental debate.  It is under this umbrella that Pollution Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) fall, providing the public with access to vital information on the environment.  International and European agreements such as the Aarhus Convention (1998) are now requiring countries to implement such regimes. This report examines existing PRTR systems in other countries including the USA, Australia and Canada.

Incineration or Something Sensible?

The UK Government and local authorities are currently looking at burning more waste from households, shops and offices in incinerators.  Superficially, the idea of burning waste to generate useful energy sounds environmentally sensible, and this is certainly how the new incinerators are being marketed by their operators.  Friends of the Earth, however, opposes the incineration of waste (including incineration with energy recovery) for three main reasons: •incineration wastes valuable resources •incineration pollutes •incineration is bad for climate change.

The Right to Really Know - Report of Phase 1

The Right to Really Know campaign was launched in December 1999 and was developed to raise awareness of issues relating to Freedom of Information and, in particular, access to environmental information in Scotland.  As part of the campaign, Friends of the Earth Scotland decided to test the effectiveness of the current legislation and guidelines on information held by public authorities.