Responding to Scottish Labour's announcement today that it would ban fracking Friends of the Earth Scotland Head of Campaigns Mary Church said:

“It is fantastic news that Labour have come out unequivocally opposed to fracking. A huge amount of evidence about public health, environmental and climate impacts from around the world provides a strong precautionary basis for banning this unsafe and unnecessary industry, and the Labour Party in Scotland have recognised that.

“Communities threatened by shale gas, coalbed methane and underground coal gasification will be relieved to see the growing political momentum to put a stop to these risky plans.

“Pressure is mounting on the Scottish Government to act to ban unconventional fossil fuels, from its own members, from communities across Scotland and now from the official opposition.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Labour leader Kezia Dugdale announced at First Minister’s Questions today that Scottish Labour would not allow fracking in Scotland

Friends of the Earth Scotland is: * Scotland's leading environmental campaigning organisation * An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland * Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 75 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups. www.foe-scotland.org.uk

FoES has recently launched the ‘Fossil Free Scotland’ campaign which aims to secure a just transition to a 100% renewable, nuclear-free, zero-fossil-fuel Scotland www.fossilfree.scot