 Oedd y ddaf yn unrhyw o'r bydd ymddiannol i'r geshyn cyddi, mewn gwneud y gwych ar unrhyw o'r bydd Arbryddoedd Gleiam Ddau, y ffilm 2015? Mae'n fglwm iawn i'r gweithio i'r wybodaeth nifer o siŵr a'r gwneud o'r byd i'r bydd rheswm i'r gweithio i'r busr deilog, yn eto sy'n deum o'r bydd a blin ei wneud o'r bydd, a'r gweithio i'r bydd i'r busr deamol i'r byd, os yw hefyd, o'r bydd The ninth annual WWF-inspired earth hour takes place this Saturday, March 28. For 60 minutes, 160-plus countries and territories will come together to create a symbolic and spectacular lights out display across the globe, aimed at highlighting the need to address climate change. Landmarks, including Times Square in New York, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, will feature and will be joined here in Scotland by Edinburgh Castle, the fourth rail bridge, the First Time, the Kelpies and, of course, the Scottish Parliament. With a critical international climate change summit due to take place in Paris later this year, the importance of earth hour 2015 cannot be overstated. We, collectively and as individual citizens, need to ramp up the pressure on world leaders to deliver a legally binding international deal, which in a fair and equitable way delivers on restricting global temperature increases to west than the catastrophe that would be two degrees. Just as we collectively and as individuals require to ensure that our own behaviours are those of environmentally responsible inhabitants of this planet, the need for tangible action becomes increasingly evident right here on our own doorstep. 2014 was the hottest and fourth wettest year for the UK since records began in 1910. The average temperature for 2014 was 9.9 degrees Celsius, one degree warmer than the UK's long-term average, fitting into the wider trend, which shows that eight of the UK's top 10 warmest years have occurred since 2002. As Bob Ward policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute and Climate Change and Environment put it, 2014 was part of a pattern and clear evidence of the impact of man-made climate change on the UK. The truth is that we are not responding, at least not to the extent that we here in Scotland have acknowledged that we have to. By 2012, only Finland and Denmark within Europe had battled Scotland's emissions reduction performance, but, as we all know, we are. Albeit the readjustment of the baselines is not helping, missing the early targets, and the trajectory from here on in gets much steeper and, therefore, far more challenging. However, the response to Earth Hour, although it face value, a symbolic gesture, suggests that the population increasingly is waking up to the situation. WWF found that 85 per cent of the adults who had been involved in Earth Hour last year had felt inspired by the event to do more to protect the planet. While it is a symbolic event, it appears to be making a difference in terms of raising awareness and inspiring more environmentally friendly behaviour. Since the UK first became involved with Earth Hour back in 2008, there has been a steady increase in participation at all levels. Last year, more than 1,000 businesses across the islands took part. In shooting, hundreds of buildings were switched off across the country, just short of 1,000 schools across Scotland participated reaching over 2 million pupils. This year, the task is to create bunting for the love of highlighting the campaign that was started by WWF as part of the 100 Strong Climate Coalition, which calls on people to share why they care about climate change by focusing on the many things about their lives that will be affected unless we tackle this global issue. It is not just members of the public that are ensuring enthusiasm for Earth Hour, either. When I lodged this motion, I never thought for a moment that it would fail to receive the level of cross-party support required to secure this debate, but it says a lot about the subject matter that multiple members from every single party within this Parliament supported it. There is no doubt that this consensus over the importance of Earth Hour is evident at local authority level. Let us give ourselves a pat in the back. Scotland is the first country in the world to have every local authority supporting the Earth Hour initiative. The Earth Hour 2015 local authority initiative requires councils to do the following three basic things—switch off, turn off the lights in their town halls, headquarters and other landmarks, take part, promote WWF's Earth Hour staff through emails and the internet, encouraging them to sign up as individuals and take part in the event on a personal basis, engage, make use of the websites, newsletters, Twitter, Facebook to encourage members of the public to sign up, demonstrating the support for action and climate change that exists in the local area. If the local authority does an additional three activities from a top-up list, they are a WWF Scotland super-local authority badge recipient. Those top-up activities include getting community planning partnership partners to sign up to Earth Hour, holding a major public countdown to the switch off event and talking to local businesses and organisations to get the lights switched off on iconic or important buildings or structures in the area. Can I use tonight's platform to urge councils to pay particular heed to that last point, especially in relation to businesses occupying major retail parts? I find it utterly galling the amount of electricity that is wasted lighting up shop fronts and vacant car parks in these places between the hours of dusk and dawn, where no one but no one is window shopping. Switching off for Earth Hour would be a start down the road which sees them reduce energy consumption and if security is a concern then they could direct the savings to provide job opportunities for people to guard the premises. Last year 14 councils were awarded the status of super local authority, my local council Angus is one of these. Angus council will be switching off council HQ, Angus House at Orchard bank, county buildings and the Balmashanar war memorial and they'll be joined in taking this action by Historic Scotland Arbro Dabi. Most schools in Angus will be involved doing various projects such as switching off appliances, signing up the switch off at home etc. Last year participating schools received feedback on their energy consumption during Earth Hours. Figures returned by the Angus carbon and energy team showed that one primary school had an overall saving of 62 kilowatts which would equate to £246,7 if continued over the year. This was equal to energy used by six houses in a day and the CO2 emissions of a car travelling 145 miles. The council themselves are using Earth Hours as an opportunity to raise awareness about energy use and giving staff details of how to reduce their energy use. The council are also encouraging community planning partners such as the Dundee Angus College, NHS Tayside Police Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Fire and Rescue to get involved as well. At that very local level, right across Scotland, we are taking that moment to think about and highlight the need for action on climate change and hopefully sending the message that as citizens of this planet we understand the need to change behaviour and if our political leaders take the appropriate lead we'll also have our support. Presiding Officer, I'll draw my contribution to close it because I know that there are a number of colleagues wanting to participate in this debate. As with tackling climate change, the more who can contribute, the better. Graeme Dey, I'm bringing forward this very important motion and I apologise to him and the minister because I was due to a chair of meeting that was starting at the Parliament at 5.30 but that's what happens obviously when debates start later than scheduled so I apologise for that but clearly this is an important debate and that's why I wanted to speak in it. As we know, Earth Hour is getting bigger and bigger every year since it started in Sydney in 2007 and as Graeme Dey has reminded us, Scotland should be proud of the part that every single local authority has pledged to take part in it. For example, this year, more than 100 iconic buildings and landmarks will go dark on 28 March including Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Glasgow, George Square and the Kelpies. However, Earth Hour was not started by WWF just to switch off the lights. It's a day aimed at raising awareness about climate change and is also a great opportunity to take concrete action with a global impact. With climate change, as we know, we are now facing one of the biggest threats humanity has ever had to face and 2015 is a significant year for global action on this point. For example, Paris will be hosting the conference of the party's 21 in December 2015, over two weeks under guidance from the UN. The expectations of this meeting are high and reflect the urgency to contain climate disruption. In this context, Scotland has made bold commitments so far, and the Scottish Government has set an ambitious but necessary target of 42 per cent reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases by 2020. The fact remains, however, that reduction targets were missed for the third time in 2012 by a substantial margin of 4.5 per cent. According to the Committee on Climate Change, the Scottish Government will need to strengthen key policies to meet future targets. Therefore, the Scottish Government must continue and go further to make sustainability a key area of policy devolved to Scotland, including infrastructure and procurement, green housing, active travel and much more. The recent high-profile guardian climate change petition led by Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of The Guardian, echoes the wake-up call on climate change. We are experiencing from all over the world from scientists and academics to politicians. I want to highlight this campaign, because I think that the Guardian newspaper should be congratulated on this great campaign that they have had over the last three or four weeks. I think that the journalist Rob Edwards, who writes for a different paper, said that the launch editorial was the best editorial that he had ever seen on the subject. Alan Rusbridger, who, of course, is retiring soon, started a keep it in the ground campaign and calls for a civilisational wake-up call. Moreover, he said that it was time to disinvest in companies that seek to exploit fossil fuels. If I can just quote what he said in that starting editorial, he said that evidence shows that proven fossil fuel reserves are more than three times higher than we can afford to burn in order to stay below the generally agreed threshold for dangerous climate change. Fossil fuel companies are currently banking on extracting those reserves and selling them and are actively prospecting for more. If legislators continue to support through policy these actions, while at the same time purporting to prioritise carbon emissions reduction gardens, the situation will come as stalemate between global corporate energy interests and the wellbeing and sustenance of our children and our planet. It is well worth everyone looking at the Guardian over the month of March, particularly on Mondays and Fridays, because it has been a great campaign that carries on. In conclusion, climate change is having a hugely detrimental impact on the quality of life for Earth's inhabitants, human and otherwise. EarthHour is just one moment where we can come together and make the case for a cleaner and more sustainable way of living in our own small but significant way. Therefore, on Saturday 28, when the skies above our major towns and cities go dark, I hope that, as many members as possible and as many citizens as possible will show their support and switch off at 8.30 pm. I support the motion and congratulate Graham Day once again for introducing it. Many thanks. I now call on Stuart Stevenson to be followed by Jamie McGregor. Four minutes are thereby, please. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and, like others, let me congratulate Graham Day and thank him for making time available for this debate. There is a lot happening in the world. Ocean currents are slowing. The Gulf Stream is going to be a less significant moderator of the climate in north-west Europe in years to come, and that has already started. That is why we are seeing harsh winters. In the last five years, the temperature at our house in one year was minus 21. In another year, it was minus 19. That has been followed by two years of unseasonable warmth, in which, in fact, we were sitting having a barbecue at the end of February last winter. We are seeing greater variability in our climate, and that is not going to be good news for the long-term health of our planet. We have seen shrinking of the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps, and we are seeing increased eridification in particular in Africa. Of course, as I have said in many debates before, that is, in particular, a gender issue, where the majority of farmers in rural Africa subsistence farmers are female, and they are having to go further for water, and they are going to have to go further for wood that they are burning in the stoves. Very significant problems for real people. It is going to lead to mass migration and it is going to lead to deaths. That is not simply an academic argument at all. I should be doing my little bit in promoting earth hour. I shall be in the Shona staffers suite of the Count Plaza hotel next to the SECC at 8.30 on Saturday night. I am the quizmaster in a WWF candlelit quiz. It is, of course, associated with the SMP conference, but it is not on the SMP conference campus, so I extend an invitation to all who are listening to come and join us on this excellent occasion. I shall be in sparkling form, as I normally am, at these occasions. The motion that we have before us talks about celebrating the work of individuals, families and communities and highlights the work of Angus Council. It is worth saying that the two councils within my constituency, Abedincia, most, if not all, of the offices that Abedincia has will be switching their lights off, and that is good news. Murray Council has arranged that the Bucky town clock and the Cullen town clock initiatives are going to be part of this. Indeed, they have been awarded a super local authority badge. I have my disagreements with Murray Council. That is not a great secret, but in this particular policy area, they are at least taking the right kind of steps. It is somewhat ironic that this started in Sydney, because we now have a Prime Minister in Australia, of course, who has been deconstructing the efforts of his predecessor to address the issue of climate change, at a time when the states, in particular South Australia, have been doing very well. Indeed, we and the Government here lost our head of environment to South Australia, where he is now carrying on very good work at a state level over there. The conference of the parties that is going to be in Paris this year—I first went to the one in Poznan, as a minister, and then in Copenhagen—the UK, in particular Gordon Brown, refused to allow us to be part of the delegation. I am delighted to say that, since then, the Government has been part of the delegation and has been an active and effective contributor. Let me just end, Presiding Officer, with a controversial thing where I am in a single digit minority here. I think that the big thing that we should and could be contemplating is reducing the speed limits wherever they are in Scotland by 10 miles an hour. Costs are almost nothing to do. It is not going to be popular, but I do not care, I will be 70 next year. However, it will be one of the things that we have to get on the agenda, and I encourage people to think about that very seriously. I now call on Jamie McGregor to be followed by Cara Hylton. Thank you. I join Graham Day and others in commending the work of WWF for once again organising this year's earth hour. Indeed, for the positive work, they do more generally to raise awareness of climate change and the challenges facing our biodiversity across the planet. Like other members, I also encourage constituents in my region to take part in this year's earth hour by switching off-lights at 8.30pm this Sunday. An earth hour, which was established in 2007, is now a well-known event which raises awareness of climate change issues internationally and helps put the focus on this policy area. It is an hour when people can contemplate human impact on the planet, and earth hour always reminds me of the late Michael Jackson's earth song, the sum of the lyrics are apt. What have we done to the world? Look what we've done. And like pollution, quite apart from being a very significant energy issue, does spoil clear vision of the night sky, which from darkness is so breathtakingly beautiful, so it is a type of vandalism. The motion mentions the involvement of local authorities in earth hour, and I'm pleased all the councils in my region are taking part. In Argyllun Bute, the famous McKaggs Tower in Oban, will take its place in a display of darkness alongside iconic buildings across the gobe, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge. In Highland, where WWF have awarded the council a super local authority badge, in recognition of their enthusiastic support for earth hour 2015, Rutherford Barracks, Inverness Castle, Inverness Cathedral, Urcott Castle and Ellen Donnell Castle will all have their floodlighting switched off. Highland Council rangers will also offer a range of guided walks, and every school in the Highlands has been encouraged to mark the earth hour. In the Western Isles, the Lights of Stornoway War Memorial will be turned off while the Town Hall in Lowick in Shetland will similarly be darkened. I'm also aware that many other public agencies in my region are also joining earth hour, including HIE, Scottish Canals, Visit Scotland, NHS Orkney and SNH. This is good. The motion also refers to welcoming other nations, sharing Scotland's ambition on tackling climate change. While we would all agree with this, I have argued in this chamber before that Scotland could carry more weight in terms of persuading other countries to adopt tough climate change targets if we could point to meeting our own targets rather than missing them. Most notably on greenhouse gas emissions, targets that the Government has now failed to meet three years in a row. This lack of achievement emphasises the difficulty in translating rhetoric into reality. But to conclude, Presiding Officer, I again welcome the fact that earth hour 2015 will help to put climate change on the international political agenda. I agree with Graham Day that this December's parents conference will be an important milestone in international efforts towards tackling climate change. We look to the Scottish Government to work with the public and private sectors here to develop further practical policies that help individual consumers to make low-carbon, environmentally friendly choices. I know Colin Carter Hilton to be followed by Angus Macdonald. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I begin by congratulating Graham Day on securing tonight's debate and also congratulating WWF for their excellent campaign? On Saturday night from 8.30, I will be joining millions of people in Scotland and around the world by switching off the lights in my house to mark earth hour 2015, although we're having three young children and I don't think I'll be lighting any candles. I know that many hundreds of my constituents in Dunfermline and in the West Fife villages will be doing the same, and I'll certainly be doing my bit to urge constituents to sign up. As a Fife MSP, I was pleased to hear that joining the iconic buildings across Scotland that will take part in the earth hour are Dunfermline City Chambers, The Fourth Rail Bridge, Fife House, The Townhouse in Carcody and Saltaire House. NHS Fife are also taking part. I'd like to congratulate Fife Council on being so active in promoting earth hour this year to both council staff and the local community that the WWF has awarded them a super local authority badge. Earth hour gives us the opportunity to show we are concerned about what's happening to our planet. Climate change is not something that's going to happen in the future and it's not something that's in doubt. Climate change is happening right now and while it can be hard for us in Scotland to believe, right now our world is hotter than it's been in 2,000 years and by the end of the century, if we don't act, global temperatures will climb higher than at any time in the past 2 million years. We're already seeing the impact from floods here in the UK to extreme weather conditions in the US to droughts, poverty and rising sea levels affecting many developing countries. Climate change is already affecting our lives, it's already damaging our ecosystems and it's already endangering the livelihoods of millions of people around the world. Climate change affects the whole planet, it touches and it will touch every one of us in every country, in every continent around the world yet it's not an unstoppable tide and there's nothing inevitable about it. We've all got the power to act and to make a difference yet right now it's simply not happening enough. If everyone in the world consumed natural resources at the rate we do in Scotland, we need three planets to support us, not just one. Yet from the food we eat to the air we breathe to the fuel that we consume and the water we drink, we rely on a healthy planet to lead our lives and in the choices we make every single day, in our homes, on our journey to work and in the food that we eat, we can all take small simple steps that can add up to big energy savings. We can all live our lives in a more climate friendly way. Earth hour is not therefore just a one-off event, it's not just about switching the lights off once a year and doing nothing else. Earth hour is an opportunity for each and every one of us to think about the everyday changes that we can make to save the planet that we love and it's an opportunity too to demand concerted action to ensure that in Scotland we do meet our climate changing targets in future and that we play a role in the world stage in promoting climate change action here in Europe and across the world. Each and every one of us has got the power to shape and change the future of our planet and to make the day-to-day choices that will secure a better and brighter future for generations to come, so I hope that this year's earth hour is another huge success. Switching off the lights can only be the start of a journey. Together we can make change happen, taking action not just for one hour but every single day. We owe it to our children and to all that we love and value to act now and put a halt to climate change. I'd like to join other members in thanking Graham Day for bringing this motion to the chamber, highlighting the importance of WWF's earth hour and the importance of demonstrating support for people and wildlife, set in by climate change. I'm delighted to be supporting earth hour on the 28 March. I urge all my constituents, local businesses and organisations in the Falkirk East constituency to join me in my support of this initiative. This year in Falkirk East we'll see the lights going out on the Falkirk quail and the kelpies, as Graham Day has already mentioned, among many other landmarks. It's great to see those landmarks being used to highlight this important issue. Our lone piper and a blues band at the kelpies will announce the switch-off at 8.30pm on 28 March. I'm in a bit of a quandary, Presiding Officer, whether to attend that or whether to attend Stuart Stevenson's quiz night at SNP conference. Across the world, nations face a range of challenges from climate change and energy and water security to tackling extreme poverty. However, the biggest challenge is surely climate change. That's why, in 2009, as we all know, the Scottish Parliament passed our world-leading legislation on climate change. Scotland has shown that, when we have the powers, we're prepared to lead. I know that our country in the world has said itself that demanding emission reduction targets that Scotland has. In addition, Scotland's climate justice fund is already making a difference to the lives of climate-affected communities in Tanzania, Rwanda, Alawi and Zambia. The devastation caused by extreme weather events and the link to climate change will surely feature high up on the agenda of the next session of the conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, it must be a wake-up call to world governments. I'm sure the minister, if she's attending the Paris convention, will call on them to share Scotland's ambition on the issue. In the fields of international development, human rights, action on climate change and climate justice, Scotland already has a well-established international reputation. In 2014, thousands of people across Scotland joined hundreds of millions of people in other countries across the world in switching off all non-essential lighting on and within buildings. The Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and my local authority of Falkirk Council will play their part again this year, and we anticipate a great response from the rest of the public sector, too. Now, WWF's earth hour is an extraordinary annual event that focuses the world's attention on the steps that we need to take to protect it. As a supporter, I am committed to taking more action to address climate change and other environmental threats. However, I do not consider myself to be an environmentalist but a pragmatist. I enjoy the benefits of a technologically advanced and industrialised nation, and I would not agree with any action that takes a regressive stance in this area. However, my pragmatism extends to the acknowledgement that, with the benefits of technology and industrialisation, comes the downside of climate change. Within my constituency of Falkirk East, there is the largest container terminal in Scotland, Scotland's only crude oil refinery and a number of proposals for fracking currently suspended by the moratorium. However, there is also the hills and farmland of the Braes area, multiple wildlife reserves, woodland and parks. It is this balance between environment and industrialisation that I feel we as legislators must get right for all our benefit and for the benefit of future generations. In closing, it is clear that climate change is an issue that will give us many challenges in years to come. Scotland can lead the way with legislation that will ultimately help to mitigate the effects of climate change, as well as providing a sustainable supply of energy and a technologically advanced economy. Earth Hour provides a moment in time for all of us to think about what more we can do to address climate change. I believe that a moment in time is not enough, and I would call on all colleagues in the Scottish Parliament to continue to provide cross-party support for the aims of the Climate Change Scotland Act 2009 and any other legislation that helps to prevent climate change. I thank you and I now call on Sarah Boyart to be followed by Rod Campbell. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I also congratulate Graham Day for raising this debate with us tonight and say that I think that we have had some excellent speeches so far tonight, Presiding Officer. I am very proud of the fact that every local authority in Scotland is taking part this year. I think that that is hugely symbolic and I think that it is definitely worth highlighting. I know that my local authority, Edinburgh, is one of the super local authorities because of the work that it has done and the initiative that it has taken. As part of its darker skies policy, it has already reduced the number of city monuments that are illuminated at night. I think that that is a good example of Earth Hour creating an all-year-round impact. However, the iconic buildings and the leading organisations in Edinburgh that are taking action this weekend should be put in the record. It is not just the castle or the Parliament—important though those are—there is the Royal Yot Britannia, the fourth rail bridge, the National Gallery of Scotland, the RSA, the Palace of Holyrood House, public sector organisations such as the Apex House with Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Funding Council office, hotels such as the Balmoral and the Caledonian Hotel, the Cameroot Obscura, St Giles, Cathedral and St Cuthberts, Heart of Mdlothian Football Club and Edinburgh University. A range of key buildings in the city will have their lights off for an hour on Saturday. It is an act of symbolism, but it is also an act of solidarity with the people who, as Cara Hylton, are already being affected by climate change. There is a lot that we can celebrate. This year's Earth Hour is important, as Graham Day said, because it is in the run-up to the Paris talks. There is a huge amount that we can be proud of in Scotland, but, as Jamie Mcgregor said, we need to focus on what more we need to do to meet our own climate change targets, which we have missed three years in a row. Yesterday's Climate Change Committee report, its fourth annual publication, sets out some of the challenges that we face, but sets out some of the policy areas that we could really make a difference on if we act now. WWF has rightly called for significantly greater policy effort. It comments that it remains difficult to pinpoint a policy fingerprint on the emissions reductions that we have seen since the introduction of the Climate Change Act. Let us focus on energy efficiency in Scotland. For me and Edinburgh, tackling our tenements is a huge challenge. We struggle to keep our tenements wind and water tight, but making them more energy efficient, we have to raise our game. We need more low-carbon heat networks across the country so that people have energy-efficient and low-carbon heating for the future. We need more on low-emission transport, more electric cars, more active travel and walking. For Stuart Stevenson, Edinburgh is looking at lower speed limits on selected streets, so other parts of the country will be able to learn from that. Across the public sector, CO2 targets to reduce our emissions. I noted today that Glasgow City Council is signing up a deal with the Green Investment Bank that will see 10,000 streetlights with lower energy emissions and half the amount of energy that is being used to light the city. There is a huge amount that is being done across Scotland, and there is much to be proud of. We need to have more in terms of land use action, particularly in terms of forestry, farming and peatlands. Part of that is about good advice and guidance, part of it is about leadership from the Scottish Government, part of it is about using financial resources to create the win-wins, where we have carbon emission reductions but green jobs as well. That has to be the prize for us in Scotland as we play our part across the world with the symbolism of EarthR, but the solidarity of EarthR 2 to focus on what we can do so that all of us in Saturday night are switching off our lights for an hour, but we are taking part in a global movement that says that climate change needs action and that Scotland can lead the way and play a full part in reducing our climate emissions. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the subject of world earth hour 2015, and, like others, I congratulate Graham Day on securing this debate. I also congratulate and applaud the work of WDDF in relation to this matter, and I wish Stuart Stevenson all the best on Saturday in the chairmanship of the quiz. Earlier in Graham Day's speech and indeed in the motion, he referred to the number of countries participating in this year's EarthR, and the importance of this year's events, particularly ahead of the rather grandly named 21st session of the conference of the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, which takes place in December, and has a symbolic act there for EarthR is, therefore, not only unique but extremely appropriate. Whether at a local level at home or in the workplace or even at a traditional level, turning the lights out provides a visual opportunity to display support or draw attention to those who do not. When then marks across Scotland, including not only this Parliament but Edinburgh Castle, the Kelpies, the Fourth Road Bridge, and dare I say it, Cooper County buildings fall into a temporary darkness this Saturday night, they will be joined by other landmarks in other cities and places across the globe, perhaps rather better known than Cooper and Angus, but, nevertheless, the sentiment is the same. I'm especially pleased to see that NHS Fife are taking part in this year's EarthR, and, as Cara Hintland has already mentioned, that Fife Council joins Angus Council and others in being awarded a super-local authority badge by WWF as a result of their enthusiastic participation and support for EarthR. Events such as EarthR help to encourage people to take stock of what is a global issue. Some many suggest that climate change could overtake all other issues as an issue of importance, as effects become more apparent and have increasing consequences around the globe. At the UN climate silent in 2014, Barack Obama said, as we probably all remember, we're the first generation to feel the effects of climate change and also the last generation to be able to do anything about it, and how true that is. We have found ourselves in Scotland in some ways in the unfortunate but privileged position of being able to instigate change. Change is, however, unlikely to happen overnight or with a single action, but it can occur if we make many little changes in our everyday lives. How many people, for instance, regularly leave the lights on or television when they leave the room? Just a few years ago, those things would not even be thought of as an issue, but as people become more conscious of the problem, however, I believe that they're more willing to implement the small changes in their daily routines, which, together across a significant number of people, will make a significant difference. Clearly, there are colossal challenges that cannot be met simply by using energy-efficient light bulbs or not leaving the television on standby. Equipping ourselves with a clean, reliable energy source is essential, and whilst other nations and states have perhaps moved without even pausing for breath into the use of another carbon-based resource in fracking, I, for one, am pleased that the Scottish Government is taking a bit of a more considerative approach and has instigated a moratorium on granting planning consents. Scottish Government's ambition by 2020 that renewable sources will generate the equivalent of 100 per cent is, as we well know, well on the way to being achieved, with renewable sources now exceeding 44 per cent of gross electricity consumption. That is particularly good when compared with other areas of the United Kingdom, where the proportion of renewables is far less. However encouraging those figures are, there is no scope for complacency. As Malcolm Chisholm has already mentioned, we have failed to reach the emission standards targets that we've met, and so there is absolutely no room for complacency. However, I believe that we continue to make big steps in the renewable energy market with our vast potential for wind, wave and tidal power. Keeping this issue at the forefront of our minds is, I think, important. This one event is a small symbolic gesture. As Cara Hilton has said, it should not be seen as a one-off, however. Nevertheless, I hope that, if you can, you will mark this occasion on the 28th at 8.30pm by turning your lights on. Thank you. Thanks very much. And we now move the closing speech from the minister, Eileen McLeod. Seven minutes or thereby please minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and can I start by adding my congratulations to Graham Dave for bringing this important debate to Parliament and for highlighting the success of WWF's earth hour in engaging with a mass audience worldwide and encouraging hundreds of millions of people across our planet to stand behind environmental issues. As the Environment and Climate Change Minister, I am delighted to add my own congratulations to WWF and to all who are taking part in earth hour this coming Saturday evening, and I wish their efforts every success. I also look forward to seeing Angus Macdonald and Stuart Stevenson taking part in the Candlewick quiz that we hosted by WWF at our party conference. I am pleased, too, that the motion has commanded support from all sides of this Parliament, and I think that we should all continue to take pride in the very fact that the Climate Change Scotland Act 2009 was passed unanimously, because it demonstrates very clearly that the Scottish Parliament is prepared to show international leadership on targets that are aligned with climate science. I agree with Malcolm Chisholm that climate change is one of the biggest challenges that the world faces, and also with the comment from Rodd Campbell about the importance of consumer behaviour. As noted in today's motion, 2015 is a particular crucial year for mobilising the international effort. In December, as many members have highlighted, Governments from around the world will meet in Paris and agree a new global treaty on climate change. I will attend Paris and I will be pressing for the highest global ambition. One of my earliest ministerial duties was to attend the conference of the parties in Lima in December last year, where I met with many international figures committed to addressing climate change and challenging the international community to deliver a new global treaty to match Scotland's high ambition. I agree with the comments from Graham Day that we must ramp up a pressure on our world leaders. Just in the last few weeks, I have met and discussed climate action with the Irish Minister for Natural Resources and the French ambassador to the UK. Earlier today, I met and discussed climate change ambitions with the Quebec Ajaum general to the UK. I will be aware that yesterday, the independent committee on climate change published its report on Scotland's progress. I very much welcome the report. It shows that Scotland is outperforming the UK as a whole in reducing greenhouse gases as a result of the innovative and effective action that we are taking to achieve the most ambitious climate change targets in the world. Since 1990, gross Scottish emissions have fallen nearly 30 per cent compared to 24 per cent for the UK as a whole. The report also recognises the challenges that we are facing as a result of the methodological changes to how estimated emissions are calculated since our targets were set, which makes achieving them more difficult. Scotland's targets are not easy, they are challenging and there is much still for us to do, but we are making good progress and that good progress against our targets was recognised in the climate change report, particularly in relation to renewable energy, where, for example, in 2013 Scotland's generation from renewables was equivalent to 44 per cent of Scotland's gross electricity consumption. However, we have the ambition to do more. Last year, the Scottish Government established the Cabinet Subcommittee on Climate Change, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, a clear demonstration of our collective commitment to climate change at the very highest level within this Government. That commitment is evidenced by the range of work that we are taking across the Scottish Government that is making a difference on the ground. There are now around 600 publicly available charging vehicles in Scotland for electric cars. The percentage of household waste that was recycled in 2013 was 42.2 per cent. In terms of the budget, we have increased our investment in energy efficiency out of £20 million. That should have a positive impact on how we tackle climate change emissions from housing. Just this morning, my colleague Derek Mackay announced a £10 million boost to active travel, bringing this total budget for active travel this financial year to almost £36 million. That latter is an excellent example of Scottish Government funding that has delivered multiple benefits from emissions reduction to healthier lives. Of course, Scotland's actions alone are not enough. Earth Hour is important in this regard because it sends a co-ordinated message in support of action on climate change from grassroot levels around the world. The Government gives an annual grant to WWF Scotland to ensure that co-ordination happens within Scotland. A number of members have highlighted some of those public bodies and national organisations that are switching off their non-essential lights, including Edinburgh Castle, the Forthbridge, the Falkirk wheel, Stirling Castle, Island Donning Castle, and our very own Kelpies. It is fantastic that every one of our 32 local authorities will also be switching off. Last year, three of them won the local authority champion awards, while another 12 who went the extra mile, including, as noted by Graeme Day, Angus Council, were awarded super-local authority badges, as well as Fife Council. Earth Hour has demonstrated that, when we act collectively, we have the power to make a difference. I agree with Sarah Boyack's comment that this is a symbol of solidarity with the climate vulnerable around the world. I also want to pick up on a comment that was made by Graeme Day when he referred to the For the Love of campaign. The First Minister has received many hundreds of emails and letters, and I have written on her behalf to stop climate chaos Scotland and to thank the supporters for all their many actions on climate change. I welcome this evening's debate. I thank Graeme Day again for bringing this important debate to the chamber tonight and for all the excellent contributions that we have had across the chamber from members highlighting how important Earth Hour is and how Earth Hour is being marked in the local communities. I would like to close with two points. First, I congratulate all those who are participating in Earth Hour. Everyone involved is making a huge difference, and secondly, to call on everyone to participate not only in Earth Hour but to work with us to realise Scotland's ambitions on climate change here in Scotland and on the international stage. Many thanks and I thank you all for taking part in this debate, and I now close this meeting of Parliament.