Hopes For The Future

MSPs will be invited to share their hopes for the environment at a ‘dream catching’ event in Holyrood today.

CIFAL Scotland – a UN affiliated sustainability training centre, based in Moray – aims to record the views of MSPs to mark the 20th anniversary of the landmark Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 1992. The summit was instrumental in pushing climate change up the international political agenda and eventually gave rise to the Kyoto protocol, aimed at reducing Co2 emissions.

Now, twenty years on, campaigners in Scotland hope MSPs will support their call for more action on climate change, poverty and sustainable growth.

The Green Dreams campaign is part of a global effort to record the hopes and dreams of men, women and children worldwide on issues such as health, air quality, community, transport, energy and climate change, ahead of this year’s UN Conference on Sustainable Development – also known as RIO+20.

Scottish Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson MSP has already recorded his green dream, warning of the impact of climate change on sub-Saharan African and other parts of the world threatened by desertification and rising sea levels.

Mr Stevenson said that Scotland was an example of how a modern industrial country can build new renewable energy industries and sustain a change to a different way of living. In a message posted on CIFAL Scotland’s YouTube page, he said he hoped the Green Dreams campaign would inspire people around the world “to change something in your life as many of us in Scotland have already started to do.”

May East, chief executive of CIFAL Scotland, said she hoped the Minister’s backing would encourage other MSPs to support the campaign.

She said:

“We are delighted to have secured the support of Stewart Stevenson for our Green Dreams campaign. We want to show the world that Scotland is committed to developing a sustainable economy and is capable of exercising real influence on this issue, at a global level. We hope that other MSPs will be inspired to share their Green Dreams, as part of this global effort to build a sustainable future.”

Meanwhile, more than a dozen MSPs have backed a Motion in the Scottish Parliament tabled by South Scotland MSP Aileen McLeod welcoming the launch of the Green Dreams campaign.

Dr Aileen McLeod said:

“Climate change is one of the few issues that affects every man, woman and child on the planet. Important steps have been taken by Governments from across the world and we don’t need to look much further than our own here in Scotland to see the emphasis being placed on reducing our own contribution to greenhouse emissions.

“I am delighted to host this event in parliament today, giving politicians and the public a chance to share their green dream ahead of Rio+20. My own green dream is for all governments, regardless of size or political persuasion uniting in agreement to reduce their own nation’s carbon footprint and I remain hopeful that this can achieved in Rio in June.

“Of course, it is not just governments that must play their part in the fight against climate change. We all must do our bit, whether that is to use public transport instead of taking the car or remembering to recycle. If we all work together then we can ensure the long term sustainability of our planet.”

CIFAL has launched a dedicated Green Dreams website to allow people to post their videos online using their smart phone or digital camera. To record your Green Dream, go to www.youtube.com/greendreamcifal