It is with great pleasure that we look back on the Decarbonising Cities Conference, which we organised in collaboration with Swisspower. More than 300 people from science, innovation and business joined us in person and online to discuss how we can decarbonise our cities and make them more climate friendly.

Our speakers gave insight into topics in the run up to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which the UK will host in October-November. Scientists and leaders discussed the impacts of climate change and cooperation between the public and private sectors. In addition, 14 clean tech start-ups from Switzerland and the UK presented their ideas and sustainable solutions for our cities.

David Moran, the COP26 Regional Ambassador for Europe, highlighted that to make COP26 in Glasgow a success, we need commitment to reduce emissions by a significant amount and a long-term strategy, and how states are going to get to a net-zero balance of carbon emissions by 2050. Furthermore, we need the ambition to keep the global temperature under control. Finally, we need to deliver and act now in terms of energy transition, moving to electric vehicles, moving out of coal and much more.

Thomas Stocker, President of the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and Professor of Climate and Environmental Physics at the University of Bern spoke about responsibility for the global heating that we are experiencing now, and the importance of cities leading the way in adopting net zero policies. Weather extremes as we have experienced this summer, Stocker highlights, will increase in intensity and frequency in the future.
One way in which we can achieve our climate goals in cities was presented by Kristen Panerali from the WEF. She points out that clean electrification should be the top priority for any city decarbonisation strategy, which requires a dramatic system change. Massive clean electrification and efficiency could help reduce global energy demand at the same time it serves a larger economy and population of the future.

Numerous personal climate goals, which the participants posted on a wall at the conference, rounded off the event and gave each individual cause to continue to think about climate goals and to shape the path towards a sustainable future for our cities.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

Today’s figures underline that there are challenges ahead, and that our focus must remain on a sustainable recovery.

Our Plan For Jobs is helping people in all parts of the United Kingdom get back to work and we’ve invested £1.5 billion in growth deals across Scotland, while communities all over the country will see great benefits from our new Levelling Up and Community Renewal Funds.

This all comes on top of the UK Government’s unprecedented package of support which has seen an additional £14.5billion funding provided to the Scottish Government.

Thanks to the UK Government funded vaccine programme, including the new booster vaccine and rollout of jabs for 12-15 year olds, we will build back better, stronger and greener for the benefit of generations to come.

Background:

• The UK Government’s furlough scheme, extended until the end of September 2021, paid up to 80 percent of wages. The self-employed support scheme, was also extended to the end of September 2021. The furlough scheme in Scotland supported cumulatively more than 900,000 jobs alone.
• More than 100,000 businesses in Scotland have been supported from UK Government business loans worth £4 billion.
• The UK Government has provided billions in extra funding for the welfare system for those unable to access other forms of support.
• This direct support is on top of the additional £14.5 billion provided to the Government since the start of the pandemic.
• Our new Health and Social Care Levy will help provide the Scottish Government with up to £1 billion a year in additional funding for health from 2022-23
• The UK Government is investing billions to help people of all ages back into work, including our £2 billion Kickstart scheme for young people, sector work programmes and recruitment of thousands of additional Work Coaches.
• The UK Government continues to provide the bulk of Covid testing in Scotland and has moved quickly to buy vaccines for distribution across all parts of the UK. The UK Government is providing all Covid testing in Scotland outside of the NHS.

A drug dealer has been sent to prison after his original sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Teric Aroriode-Francis, now 25, participated in a county lines drug enterprise supplying cocaine, heroin and cannabis to people in the Ipswich area from a base in London. He was also convicted of perverting the course of justice after reporting his car stolen to the police on two occasions after he became aware it had been used to commit a drug related robbery.

On 14 July, Aroriode-Francis was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment, suspended for 2 years at Preston Crown Court.

On 22 September the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 3 years and 10 months’ immediate imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk MP, said:

“The original sentence failed to take account of the seriousness of these crimes and the devastating impact drugs have on lives and communities. I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal to increase the sentence.”