COLLECTIVE climate justice action is the responsibility of all humanity and now the imperative is even greater than it was.

It will not have escaped readers’ notice that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN scientific body, published its Special Report on how 1.5°C of warming will affect the planet. It lays bare the severe lack of action the world around, and the drastic need for greater ambition.

Six months ago, in this column, writing about climate justice, I ended with the plea, “The time for action is now!” This was when it was thought that limits of 2°C were the aim, as in the Paris Agreement. Now robust science says that to have any realistic chance of protecting our planet for people and life into the future, it must be 1.5°C.

Erik Solheim, executive director of the UN Environment Programme said: “It’s like a deafening, piercing smoke alarm going off in the kitchen … Net zero must be the new global mantra.” What does this mean?

Here in Scotland, we have a very clear responsibility as a developed nation to recognise and act on our historic and intergenerational obligations — it’s about equality and keeping to our “fair share.”

I am so relieved and proud to say that, in the six months since I last wrote for the Morning Star, Scottish Labour has developed and firmed up our commitments.

If the Scottish government wants to continue as a world leader, it must up its game and join Scottish Labour in setting a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest, with robust interim targets. This will send a clear message to everyone — industry, “patient” capital, councils, communities, educationalists — and bring confidence for the transition.

What is vital is that there is a just transition for all heavily emitting sectors — energy, housing, transport, agriculture.

Scottish Labour is determined that a Just Transition Commission be on a statutory and long-term footing, independent of government, and answerable to the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government’s Commission only has a lifespan of two years — this is not acceptable. To this effect I will take through amendments to the Climate Change Bill.

With humanitarian and environmental aims, the transition to net zero emissions will not occur at the expense of workers and communities. There must be no horrid mirror image of profit pursuit transitions, no Thatcher coal communities sacrifice.
Future jobs in a new sustainable economy must be unionised and well paid.

The Just Transition Partnership was started by Friends of the Earth Scotland and the Scottish Trade Unions Congress and joined by many more. It should be recognised and lauded for the challenges it has grappled with constructively.

I am delighted that Richard Leonard, as Scottish Labour Leader, has taken on the economy portfolio.  At present, over 60 per cent of offshore wind is owned by foreign companies and, though wonderful that 28 per cent of these are publicly owned, Scottish public ownership must be the way forward!

Public ownership in many forms — municipal, co-operative, community and state — will be fundamental in all sectors we shift fairly to the net zero economy and society. The public interest should be paramount. For the many not the few indeed!

At British Labour conference, Jeremy Corbyn announced that Labour has adopted a net zero emissions target by 2050, following Scottish Labour’s lead. With a Labour government at Westminster, we will rebuild Britain with a Transformation Fund to support manufacturing in line with net zero ambition.

In Scotland, we must ensure that Regional Selective Assistance is refocused. We will build the industrial base of the future with clear supply chains. We will learn from our skills traditions, from our past failures to commercialise and from the vision of companies such as Alexander Dennis, Star Renewables and Sunamp.

Time for cranked up collective action and everyone can get involved.

Let’s coalesce around hot action points!

Divestment and conversion investment are ways in which we can all demand accountability. Our pension funds should be ethically invested in relation to climate justice as well as financially sound. The scale of the funds is not an excuse for being opaque. It’s our money after all.

In August, three anti-fracking activists were imprisoned at Preston Crown Court for 16 months for their part in demonstrations against on-shore “fracking.”

This is the first time in Britain that environmental campaigners have been given custodial sentences since 1932. Though now freed on appeal, this is a dangerous precedent. I pose the question, if these prisoners of conscience acted illegally, what of the accusations of climate fraud by company directors?

Have they knowingly allowed Exxon Mobil and other fossil fuel companies to continue not to report on their climate change risk management?

There are also very effective environmental coalitions and powerful social media campaigns, such as Young Friends of the Earth, Stop Climate Chaos, EcoCongregations, which have already had very significant influence. You can join, depending on your inclination as to how you can be most effective.

Find out what your workplace or local organisations are doing to play their part and encourage bolder action, be that the public sector meeting its mandatory duties, education services effectively preparing children, students and upskillers for the future, the private sector driving change or your political party or union taking a stand. Tell your politicians climate justice matters!

Latest figures show that Scotland has reduced its emissions by 49 per cent between 1990 and 2016.

This proves to us all that once seemingly ambitious targets drive innovation and bolster climate action. It will be this parliamentary generation’s shame if we do not take urgent action in the next decade.

It is time for rapid and far-reaching action. It is time to be bold.

Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour Spokesperson for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform and ECCLR Committee member.