NEWS RELEASE

Thursday 2nd December 2004

Scottish Executive climate change strategy consultation:
"No hope" for strategy unless action is taken on transport

TRANSform Scotland, the national sustainable transport alliance, today responded to the Scottish Executive's launch of its climate change strategy by saying that there was "no hope" of reining in emissions unless action is taken to change the direction of Scottish transport policy.

Colin Howden, Campaign Manager of TRANSform Scotland, said:

"The direction of Scottish transport policy is a major problem for delivering on climate change. Annual spending on new road-building commitments is now as high as it was under the Tories in the 1990s, while the Executive is now also subsidising air travel through its Route Development Fund. While the direction of Scottish transport policy remains one of subsidising the most unsustainable modes of transport, there is little chance of Scotland making real efforts to reduce climate change emissions.

"The Scottish Executive has made a welcome commitment to stabilise road traffic levels. In order to achieve this, however, it will have to do much more than increasing spending on public transport. The Scottish Executive should be publicly supporting forward-thinking local authorities such as Edinburgh Council so that its congestion charging proposals are successfully delivered. It is unacceptable for the Scottish Executive to go into hiding on congestion charging while urging others to take action on climate change."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

[1] Road traffic growth

* SE forecasts road traffic will grow 27% growth between 2001 & 2021
* SE road traffic stabilisation target: 0% growth between 2001 & 2021
* however, the Executive has implemented no credible measures to achieve this target i.e. no road traffic demand management measures; it has left this to local authorities
* public transport investment alone will not tackle traffic growth

[2] Road-building programme

* £1.2 billion commitment to new SE road-building between 1999 and 2004
* M74 Northern Extension & Aberdeen western bypass are the two largest and most destructive projects
* road-building spend is now as large as under Scottish Office: see e.g. http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/info/docs/SpendingReviewBriefing.pdf
* its actions have generated further demands for more road-building: e.g. Fife Council proposals for a Second Forth Road Bridge
* SE is acting against its road traffic stabilisation goals (see above)

[3] SE direct state aids for air transport industry

* air transport growth is major problem for climate change
* fiscal policy on air transport is driven from Westminster, however the two key politicians are Scottish MPs: Alastair Darling (UK transport secretary) & Gordon Brown (Chancellor)
* SE Route Development Fund is a direct state aid to air transport industry

END OF PRESS RELEASE