Gavin McLellan / Giving Evidence

PHOTOGRAPH(C)2004 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTARY CORPORATE BODY.

Today I was giving evidence.  Not in a courtroom. Not to a legal hearing, although in a sense it was, to our lawmakers.   How do I find myself at the Scottish Parliament’s Committee for Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change giving oral evidence on Stage 1 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill? I am asking myself that question as I reflect on my journey.

The opening question for my panel was something along the lines of “why are you [international aid agencies] involved?”

Why are you involved?

To respond with a question; how could you not be?  Just being a resident of Scotland, UK, EU, industrialised North, you and I, us all are inextricably involved.  Almost everything we do emits.  Except walking, cycling, hanging out the washing,..  [insert your suggestions here - or in the comments!]

I answered with a soundbite; ” Forget about making poverty history. Climate change will make poverty permanent.” Nazmul Chowdhury, Practical Action, a Christian Aid partner.  Then from there led into the impacts being felt now; increasing floods, droughts, much more here:

http://www.christianaidscotland.org.uk/issues/climatechange/facts/index.aspx

After that onto historical responsibility and capacity to act, on this point I’m always struck by the fact that 75% of global CO2 emissions have happened in my lifetime.

I had a little childhood flashback as I expressed that point.  I remember very clearly P3, aged maybe 7, the lessons about switching off the lights and saving energy.  Big stickers around the light switch exhorting ‘turn off the light.’

My little epiphany in that moment, in the committee room, was the climate change ‘lock in.’ I realised that all that impact stuff, the urgent action needed now, is down to the impact of the emissions made when I was in Primary 3, just 30 years ago.  30 years ago!  Turn off the lights. Now.