The Royal Society of Chemistry is hosting the annual Science and the Parliament event this evening at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. The event brings together over 300 scientists and police makers to discuss issues such as the Scottish climate change legislation expected in 2008, and the UK legislation already under way.        

Richard Pike, CEO of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “Advances in science can make a major contribution towards meeting the future energy needs of Scotland, whilst helping to tackle the global challenge of climate change, and we at the RSC hope that the Science and the Parliament event helps to contribute to the knowledge of MSPs on current and potential developments in research.” 

Other speakers include Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP, and Professor Anne Glover, the Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland. 

Stevenson commented: "The Scottish Government is determined that Scotland will play its part in rising to the challenges posed by climate change.  That is why we are committed to showing strong leadership by putting in place Scotland’s first climate change legislation that will contribute to our overarching priority of sustainable economic growth.  This Government proposes that our Scottish Climate Change Bill should include a mandatory target to achieve an 80 per cent reduction in Scottish emissions by 2050.  We will be consulting on the Bill in the near future. 

"High-quality science and research will be fundamental to informing some of the difficult decisions we face in meeting our ambitious climate change objectives. Science and the Parliament provides an excellent opportunity to debate and discuss this important issue.” 

Also speaking in advance of the event, Professor Glover said: "Using science to understand and mitigate the challenges posed by climate change is a key example of just how important science is to our future. We depend on science, engineering and technology not just for our economic success but also for our health, environment and quality of life. 

"We are currently developing a science strategy that promotes not just uptake of science in our universities and colleges, but also innovation and international collaboration to drive economic growth. The quality of our research base is internationally recognised, but we want to see that research being more effectively translated into economic success for the benefit of Scotland."