Media Release

media release

everyone - Scotland's environment groups campaigning together (500,000 supporters, 26 organisations, ONE voice)

‘Largest ever’ environmental coalition to target election

Friday 15 April 2005

Greenpeace support for campaign brings numbers past half million mark

A Scottish campaign aiming to push the tackling of climate change up the political agenda during the General Election received a major boost today (Friday 15 April), after environmental pressure group Greenpeace UK announced its decision to throw its weight behind the initiative.
The decision brings membership of Scottish Environment LINK's everyone campaign coalition to 27 - by far the largest grouping of environmental organisations ever assembled to campaign on a single issue during an election. Together the organisations have a collective membership of over half a million which they are hoping to mobilise to challenge prospective candidates to cut climate change.

The everyone campaign is an initiative from Scottish Environment LINK, the umbrella body for Scotland's environmental organisations. Using the slogan 'cut climate change - turn the heat up on your MP' the groups are pressing candidates to pledge, if elected, to deliver year-on-year cuts in climate emissions.

President of Scottish Environment LINK and spokesman for the everyone coalition, Fred Edwards, said:

"To have Greenpeace join our campaign is fantastic news. A new coalition partner means new supporters and even more pressure on candidates to deliver on climate change. The coming together of so many groups on one subject underlines the urgency facing the planet from climate change. It is imperative that the next government promise and then deliver year-on-year cuts in climate emissions."

" Quite simply climate change is the biggest threat that the world faces today", said Anne Callaghan, Greenpeace UK's Climate Campaign Manager. "Greenpeace UK believes that any future government has to ensure that action to stop climate change is at the top of its governmental priorities. What's more every single MP has a duty to ensure that the next government lives up to the challenge of climate change. To that end, we will be encouraging thousands of Greenpeace activists to join with our colleagues in the Everyone campaign to lobby MPs and prospective candidates before the General Election".

ENDS

For more information:

on the LINK campaign: Lang Banks 0131 554 9977

Greenpeace: Anne Callaghan, Climate Campaign Manager (0)207 865 8100

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] The everyone campaign is an initiative from Scottish Environment LINK, the umbrella body for Scotland's environmental organisations. Campaigning together as the everyone coalition, the groups plan to mobilise their collective half a million supporters to challenge politicians to step up action to cut global climate change. Using the slogan 'cut climate change, turn the heat up on your MP' the groups have published a series of election demands they wish politicians to take action on.

The everyone campaign is demanding that politicians come forward with policies that will deliver year-on-year progress toward a cut of at least 20 per cent in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010, and put us on a path to a 60 per cent cut by 2050.

• The campaign is providing user-friendly information packs and has launched a campaigning website: http://www.everyonecan.org with briefing materials and information on contacting candidates.

• Campaign postcards and an e-mail advert will be circulated widely to encourage people to get involved.

• LINK groups are organising a series of election hustings meetings. Meetings have been confirmed so far in Edinburgh and Dunkeld.

The everyone cut climate change campaign is open to any group which agrees with the campaign aims and is currently supported by: Association of Regional and Island Archaeologists, Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group, Biological Recording in Scotland, Butterfly Conservation Scotland, Cairngorms Campaign, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Greenpeace UK, Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust, John Muir Trust, Marine Conservation Society, Mountaineering Council of Scotland, The National Trust for Scotland, North East Mountain Trust, Plantlife, Ramblers' Association Scotland, Reforesting Scotland, RSPB Scotland, ruralScotland, Soil Association Scotland, Scottish Countryside Activities Council, Scottish Countryside Rangers' Association, Scottish Wild Land Group, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Sustrans Scotland , TRANSform Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland and WWF Scotland