The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aka COP26, kicked off in Glasgow yesterday. The climate talks bring together heads of state and governments to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change – along with a host of experts, campaigners and protestors.
Rising global temperatures and more extreme weather events present very real risks to Scottish industries and businesses.
New research, published last week, suggested that projected temperature increases and changes in rainfall patterns could threaten one of Scotland’s most iconic exports, whisky, over the next 50 years.
Climate researchers from University College London found impending heat and drought stress, caused by global warming, could drastically impact the volume and quality of spring barley in Scotland.
The report showed that 800,000 tonnes of the cereal crop are required annually in the country’s whisky production. A reduction in yields could potentially cost the industry up to £27 million a year.
With an 18 percent decline in summer rainfall and an average rise of at least two degrees Celsius in temperature by 2080, researchers say that summer droughts, which halted production at many distilleries in 2018, would likely occur with much greater frequency going forward.
Water is not normally considered a shortage in Scotland. Despite jokes about Largs becoming ‘Costa Ayrshire’, the threats a warmer climate poses are a solemn prospect for Scotland’s national drink.
Climate change could also threaten to alter the flavour profile of whisky. Stages of its production, from malting to maturation, have all been developed to suit the temperate climates of Scotland’s whisky producing areas.
Warmer air and water temperatures would all have the potential to lead to inefficient cooling in traditional distilleries. This would create challenges for conserving the character, consistency and quality of the whisky produced – not to mention, putting a real dampener on the social lubricant of that world famous Scottish hospitality.
The summit has given Glasgow an opportunity to showcase Scotland on an international stage. Glasgow’s leaders say the city will rise to the challenge of hosting the conference, despite threats of industrial action on the railways and some public sector workers striking over pay.
A lot of press coverage in the run up to the conference has focused on the city’s shortcomings, in particular the poor standards of cleanliness and rubbish collection. Hopefully the council managed to address that in the final days of the run up and people will see Glasgow for the incredibly vibrant, diverse, and welcoming place it really is.
We need visitors to get behind the city – assuming they have all found somewhere to stay. Press coverage has made a big deal of the shortage of hotel accommodation in the city.
One ruthless Airbnb landlord saw the dearth of dwellings as an opportunity to make some quick cash from delegates attending the conference. New Yorker Tan Copsey was looking for somewhere to stay in Glasgow.
After booking somewhere at a fair price, he later received a message from his greedy host, attempting to justify an extra £1,449. The American delegate reported the landlord to Airbnb.
The chancer said he had not realised the booking was for the climate conference and was concerned about ‘missing out on a great deal of money’.
As a result of the report, Airbnb has now, quite rightly, banned the landlord from accepting guests during COP26. I am all for entrepreneurial spirit, but short-term price hikes aren’t a long-term solution for a profitable business.
Reputation matters too, which is as good a reason as any for Scotland’s leading businesses to band together for the climate cause.
The private sector is stepping up to the plate through a climate action initiative to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions.
The Scottish Business Climate Collaboration (SBCC) comprises some of the country’s biggest employers, including Diageo and Aggreko. The nine members employ around 25,000 Scots.
The consortium of big businesses want to use their combined corporate clout to help achieve climate targets around reducing damaging emissions and overhauling sustainability in Scotland’s private sector. They will use COP26 as an opportunity to invite other businesses to join them too.
It’s good to see competitors coming together and setting commercial interest aside.
The world’s eyes are firmly fixed on Glasgow and what a great opportunity that is for Scotland. Let’s hope that over the next two weeks some real change can be agreed.
Pay rise brings hope for lowest earners
The past two years have seen a massive surge of uncertainty sweep across the nation, bringing a new range of challenges for everyone.
These re-enforced issues, such as the costs of buying and maintaining your home, increased costs for retail and basic needs becoming more and more pricey, mean that people working on the lowest wage bracket are finding it increasingly more difficult to make ends meet.
Fortunately, this past week’s UK Government budget from Westminster’s Rishi Sunak declared something that people have been eagerly awaiting with bated breath, an increase to the National Living Wage.
While we still need to ring in one more Hogmanay for the changes to come into effect in 2022, the National Living Wage in Scotland will rise 6.6% from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour.
This increase, while incremental at best, is hopefully a step in the right direction in providing a wage for workers who are trying to keep their heads above the choppy waters of inflated prices.
The pay rise will see a full-time worker receive an annual pay rise of over £1,000 and, in the Chancellor’s words, will benefit some of ‘the lowest paid workers’ when it comes into effect on the 1st April.
With so many negative rumours around increases to everyday costs floating around as a result of the lockdown recovery, I find it refreshing to hear some beneficial news which is set to help support thousands who desperately need any support they can get.
I hope when April 1st comes around that this new wage can carry the weight of inflations and taxes and isn’t some April Fool’s joke for workers in Scotland.
It Made Me Laugh
Taking the globe by streaming storm, you’d think that everyone at this stage of the game has heard of the South Korean TV sensation, Squid Game.
Well, I had to chuckle this week when I noted that apparently ‘millions’ of viewers looking to enjoy the latest sensation, ended up in Glasgow instead, opting for Scottish comedy Still Game instead.
Still Game’s Sanjeev Kohli, who plays shopkeeper Navid in the comedy series, took to Twitter to welcome the ‘new’ viewers to the show, amusingly pointing out that the culling starts ‘at the end of season nine’.
I know Still Game’s run has come to an end, but I think we’d all love a reunion parody of the Craiglang crew adding a pinch of ‘Weegie’ humour to the Squid Games.
It Made Me Weep
I was sad to hear the news that Sir Walter Smith had passed away. A brilliant manager for Rangers who bridged the Old Firm divide and was admired and well respected (if not loved) by fans of Celtic and other clubs.
Sir Walter, who was never actually knighted, was a formidable manager and decent person.
Tributes have flooded in and the gates of Ibrox have been taken over by flowers, scarves, shirts and flags, ahead of Rangers’ Premiership clash with Aberdeen last Wednesday.
Even Celtic paid their respects to the football legend with a wreath and fans of the rival clubs came together to pay their respects last Tuesday.
I hope this acts as a reminder that respect and human decency is bigger than any rivalry, football or otherwise.
