People from every inhabited continent in the world call for more climate ambition from Scotland
People from around the world are urging Scotland to remain a global climate leader with the new Scottish Climate Change Bill.
100 individuals, including many directly impacted by climate change and those working to help tackle climate change, have taken photos with signs urging Scotland to “Give it 100%” in our efforts to cut emissions. Contributions include impassioned pleas from farmers in Africa, vulnerable communities in Asia, indigenous Arctic groups and Pacific Islanders.
The images and testimonies have been collected by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. We received submissions from every inhabited continent backing their calls for Scotland to end climate pollution by 2050 at the latest.
The stories highlight how climate change is already impacting on livelihoods and the need for countries in leadership positions such as Scotland to show the required ambition to meet the Paris Climate Agreement. Many of those taking part give specific support for the call for a net zero emissions target by 2050 at the latest.
“THIS IS OUR HOME AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THAT HAPPENS TO IT - FOR THE WHOLE PLANET, WE MUST ACT NOW.”
"CLIMATE CHANGE = NO WATER FOR IRRIGATION AND HOUSEHOLD USE.”
“WE ARE ASKING FOR THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S SUPPORT AND ITS COMMITMENT IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE SO THAT WE CAN CULTIVATE HONEY, FRUIT AND HEALTHY CROPS AND FOOD.”
“GO SCOTLAND! GO BE OUR EXAMPLE!”
“WE STAND TO LOSE OUR HOMES, LOSE OUR COUNTRIES, LOSE OUR IDENTITIES AS DISTINCT PEOPLES OF THE PLANET, LOSE OUR CULTURES, LANGUAGES AND FAMILIAR PLACES. WE DO NOT WANT TO BE PASSPORT HOLDERS OF COUNTRIES THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED.”
"CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS OUR ACCESS TO FIREWOOD WHICH AFFECTS OUR HOUSEHOLD"
"YOU CAN DO IT!"
"CLIMATE CHANGE HAS AFFECTED THE RAINFALL PATTERN"
“IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, FAST CHANGING CLIMATE RESULTED IN ERASING THE LINE BETWEEN SEASONS. DRY SUMMERS AND VERY COLD WINTERS HAVE BECOME NORMAL OCCURRENCE.”
"WE ARE ASKING FOR SCOTLAND’S SUPPORT TO OVERCOME CLIMATE CHANGES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE PRODUCING HEALTHY CROPS AND FOOD"
"DONNEZ-VOUS 100%"
"WE ARE WITH YOU"
"THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HOLDS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE HARMFUL IMPACTS, AND IT IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO CURB THE DISPARITIES AND INEQUALITIES THAT DEEPEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH"
"SMALL ACTS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!"
"TEMPERATURE IS INCREASING HERE EVERY YEAR, AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS THREATING PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD. WITHOUT HAVING CAPABLE ACTORS FULL COMMITMENTS, CASTASTROPHIC OUTCOMES MIGHT HAPPEN TO US"
"CLIMATE CHANGE HAS ENDANGERED THE ECOSYSTEM"
“I FORESEE HUNGER THIS YEAR DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN TERMS OF DROUGHT AND FLOODS.”
"SMALL ACT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!"
"THE UPCOMING CLIMATE CHANGE ACT IN SCOTLAND SHOULD BE USED TO SET A TARGET FOR CUTTING YOUR EMISSIONS BY ONE HUNDRED PERCENT BY 2050. THE TECHNOLOGY IS THERE; IT’S JUST A QUESTION OF BEING WILLING TO INVEST IN THE FUTURE."
"FOR THE SAKE OF OUR FUTURE GENERATION PLEASE REDUCE ON CARBON EMISSIONS"
"OUR STRIVE FOR PROGRESS HAS COME WITH A PRICE TAG OF ITS OWN. EVERY YEAR MY COUNTRY INDIA FACES VARIOUS NATURAL DISASTERS: DROUGHT, FLOODS, CYCLONE AND EARTHQUAKE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF LIVES AND ASSETS"
"POOR RAINS HAVE ALSO LED TO POOR REGENERATION OF VEGETATION AROUND THIS AREA. THIS FORCES US WOMEN TO WALK LONG DISTANCES TO FETCH FIREWOOD AND SOMETIMES FAMILIES DO GO TO BED WITHOUT FOOD BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THE FIREWOOD THAT THEY NEED TO COOK FOOD. CLIMATE CHANGE IS KILLING US HERE."
"LET'S DO IT, NOW!"
"LET THE WORLD EXIST BY STOPPING EMISSIONS"
"FOR THE HUMAN SAKE"
"PASISTENK LABAI LABAI (TRY REALLY HARD)"
"I’M REALLY CONCERNED THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS GETTING WORSE AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO COPE WITH IT. I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THE FUTURE. NOW I DON’T SEE A CHOICE FOR OUR CHILDREN BUT TO FARM, BUT I AM CONCERNED."
"WE ARE WITH YOU"
"FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL!"
“OUR LIVES HAVE BECOME HARDER AS FARMERS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THE DRY SPELL WE EXPERIENCED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SEASON MEANT THAT OUR CROPS COULD NOT MAKE IT EVEN WHEN THE RAINS FINALLY CAME (...) MOST OF US WON’T EVEN HARVEST ANYTHING THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE RAINS COMING AT THE WRONG TIME OF THE YEAR”
"FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL"
"IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENT CLEAN AND SAFE FOR LIVING"
"CURRENT HUMAN PRACTICES OWE ECOLOGY AN APOLOGY. LETS TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMON HOME - THE ENVIRONMENT"
"FOR THE SAKE OF FOOD SECURITY AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE PLEASE REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS TO ANY LEVEL POSSIBLE"
"I WORK WITH VERY VULNERABLE POOR PEOPLE TO RAISE THEIR INCOMES BEYOND POVERTY LEVEL BUT PROJECTS EFFORTS GET ERODED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS AND WE HAVE TO INVEST MORE AND IN NEW THINGS EVERY YEAR TO TRY AND SUPPORT THESE COMMUNITIES"
“FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL!”
“MY PEOPLE'S WAY OF LIFE IS UNDER THREAT. CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE.”
“TODAY NEPALESE COMMUNITIES ARE FACING THE VERY WORSE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AMBITIOUS CLIMATE ACTION IN SCOTLAND WILL HELP ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES WE FACE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE”
“SCOTLAND GIVE IT 100%, NOT JUST FOR POLAR BEARS, BUT FOR PEOPLE TOO”
“FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL”
“WE WANT THE SUPPORT OF SCOTLAND TO FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE PRODUCING HONEY”
“THE ISSUES THAT EFFECT COMMUNITIES HERE ARE LAND ENCROACHMENT IN COMMUNITY FORESTRY AREAS, POVERTY, ILLEGAL FISHING AND CLIMATE CHANGE”
“CLIMATE CHANGE HAS ESCALATED INCIDENCES OF WATER BORNE DISEASES”
"Please let those who can act help us before we die of hunger due to crop failure caused by this drought.”
"CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS WATER AVAILABILITY AND IS SPOILING OUR CROPS"
“I AM AFRAID BECAUSE WITH THIS TYPE OF WEATHER – I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS”
"THE CROP FAILURE WILL KILL US. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO SEE US THROUGH TO THE NEXT SEASON."
“POOR RAINS BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE LED TO WATER SCARCITY IN THIS AREA. IT MEANS NOW THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY INCLUDING THREE SCHOOLS DEPEND ON ONE SINGLE BOREHOLE AND IT IS NOW STRUGGLING TO SUPPLY ENOUGH WATER BECAUSE IT IS OLD”
"CLIMATE CHANGE HAS BROUGHT PESTS LIKE THE ‘FALL ARM WORM’ WHICH AFFECTS OUR CROPS."
"This year I have lost 2.5 hectares of my maize crop and I don’t even know where we will get food now.”
