Action is ‘vital’ to Tackle Scottish Borders Climate Emergency
Climate change is now the biggest issue that the world has faced. Most countries and individual local authorities have declared ‘climate emergencies’ in order to reverse the effects of climate change, and to stop the global temperature from rising. Andy Tharme, an Ecologist at the Scottish Borders Council, highlights efforts to deal with the climate emergency in the Scottish Borders.
Hule Moss, a bird hide in the Scottish Borders. Source: Connor Silcock
Tharme said: “The council has announced both a climate emergency and a biodiversity emergency. The decision came through from the UK Committee for Net Zero, which responded to an IPCC report on Climate Change which advised that Scotland could achieve net-zero emissions. The Scottish Government itself announced an emergency and a number of local authorities did the same. It was framed in a way called the Twin Emergencies, so it’s about the biodiversity emergency as well.”
Tharme explained that the council has multiple different approaches towards the climate emergency, some of which are made up of local groups and committees. He said: “We have mechanisms to coordinate activity and delivery action against climate change.
“We’ve set up a Sustainable Development Committee, which is made up of councillors and is supported by sustainable development groups. The Sustainable Development Committee then brought forward a climate change route map.
“This document signposts the direction of travel and the activities and actions that are required [to help reverse the climate emergency]. It’s a framework of action to guide our activities going forward.”
Tharme highlighted the importance of electric vehicle use in and around the Scottish Borders, in regard to fighting the climate emergency. He said: “Transport is where we can not only show leadership but carry out action. We have a programme ensuring that the fleet of public vehicles and public transport we use are moving towards electric vehicles.
“Private provisions are also increasing, so as an individual, you can ask for an EV charge point to be set up on your property. We are also given funding for transport to help subsidise electric vehicles and the network of charging points. This is something the Scottish Government is aiding.”
Tree planting grants and initiatives are another way that the council are trying to reverse the climate emergency in the Borders. Tharme said: We’ve been given an allocation from the Scottish Government for a Nature Restoration Fund. This is to provide restorations of habitats, so planting trees and hedgerows is a part of that.
“It helps us to provide adaptation and resilience for climate change. Tree planting around towns and villages is a good idea because they reduce carbon, provide a cooling effect and they can also use the runoff of water.”
But with the clock ticking, and the temperature (quite literally) rising, will these measures make a difference? And when we do find out, will it be too late for change to have any effect?