The Parliament Engagement Working Group of Quakers in Scotland has submitted consultation responses to two Private Members' Bills that align with our commitment to environmental stewardship and future generations.

The Bills

Sarah Boyack MSP's Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill would require all public bodies to consider the long-term impact of their decisions on future generations, not just immediate concerns. This creates accountability for intergenerational responsibility in policy-making.

Richard Raggett spoke at Parliament's opening on 13 May 2025, using his Time for Reflection speech to call for “listening, respect, and kinder ground” - especially as politics intensify in the face of the climate crisis. The word was very timely with politicians then set to debate the Assisted Dying Bill Stage 1 that afternoon. One MSP referred to the TfR later on in their speech on the Bill. 

Every three years, Friends in Scotland help to discern our priorities for engaging with the Scottish Parliament. This consultation helps ensure the work of the Parliamentary Engagement Working Group (PEWG) remains grounded in the concerns and leadings of our Quaker community. As our current three-year period of work concludes in December 2025, we are seeking your guidance on where we should focus our efforts for 2026-2028.

A group of Scottish Quakers StopEACOPScot have joined an international campaign against EACOP, the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline. 

StopEACOPScot members have been in touch with local people in Uganda who are bravely protesting at risk to themselves in defence of their environment and their livelihoods: they deserve our support.

PeaceBugle www.peacebugle.org is an international music and film project for peace by Steve Chettle (Kelso meeting) as a response to the violence and destruction of 20th and 21st century war, civil conflict and genocide.

The Parliamentary Engagement Officer and members of the Parliamentary Engagement Working Group have responded to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee's call for views on the upcoming change to the way that Scotland's carbon emissions are reported on.

Following the disappointing news that Scotland was off-track to reach the 2030 target for carbon emissions reductions that Parliament had agreed on, the Scottish Ministers decided that it would be more realistic to move to a system of 'carbon budgets' as used by the UK and Welsh governments. 

On 28 May 2024 Mark Bitel, Co-Clerk at Central Edinburgh Quaker Meeting, opened the week's session of the Scottish Parliament with a Time for Reflection on the theme of the importance of integrity in all things.

Building on our previous response to the Land Reform Consultation, a group of Scottish Friends with interest and expertise in land reform issues have collaborated on a response to the Call for Views on the new Land Reform Bill. 

While we were fully supportive of the intention of ending Scotland's highly concentrated pattern of land ownership, and ensuring that land is used in ways that respond to the climate and ecological crises that we face, overall we noted concerns that the Bill does not go far enough to generate real land reform.