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Mission statement
AirportWatch Scotland is a not-for-profit umbrella movement bringing together national environmental organisations, local communities, and individual environmentalists. We aim to campaign against airport expansion, particularly on the grounds of climate change and noise.
We want to empower local communities and individuals concerned about aviation expansion. In particular, we want to ensure that the voices of communities directly affected by planned airport expansion are given due weight over the next critical four months when the Scottish Government will be finalising and agreeing it’s ‘National Planning Framework’, which will provide the legislative framework for major infrastructure projects.
Who we are - some of the groups under the AW Scotland umbrella
AirportWatch Scotland is the sister organisation of AirportWatch UK. AirportWatch UK works closely with the many community groups protesting about expansion at airports across the country, and has established links with similar bodies in Europe. In Scotland alone, multiple communities, trade unions, arts-focussed groups, religious groups and other groups are meeting to discuss how best to tackle Scottish airport expansion. Involved already are faith networks, political lobbyists, women’s groups, organisations of older and disabled people, social justice and youth movements. The tactics range from generating dialogue and debate, to supporting direct action.
Why AirportWatch Scotland exists
The next six months will determine whether Scotland take a lead in action against runaway climate change or continue to expand aviation, the fastest growing contributor to carbon emissions, at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. This is through the document the National Planning Framework. As with most other airport expansions, the effect this has on the communities surrounding these airports could be devastating. We would like to urgently discuss this issue and organize a collectively agreed response with as many people and related groups as possible. The more people involved the better. This is why we are mobilising today.
The campaign is particularly appropriate as Scotland’s planning system is undergoing its most radical overhaul in 60 years and both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are due for expansion, directed through the ‘National Planning Framework 2’ (NPF2) and local development plans for frameworks. The proposed NPF2 will undergo sixty days scrutiny in Scottish parliament in autumn 2008. AirportWatch Scotland opposes airport expansion and wants to ensure that the voices of communities directly affected by planned airport expansion under the Scottish Government’s ‘National Planning Framework’ are given due weight. We are being set up to support networks empowering local communities in the campaign to prevent Scottish airport expansion proposals.
The movement to tackle climate change in Scotland is growing. In order to uphold a strong climate change bill in Scotland it must include key polluting industries, such as aviation and shipping - setting a precedent for other communities and nations and reducing Scotland’s too often ignored carbon contributions to wider UK emissions. Supporting a widely consulted community-led mass movement for climate change action in Scotland ‘AirportWatch Scotland’, an umbrella group of community groups, charities, NGO’s as well as groups supporting radical direct action will help to ensure a future for the coming generations.