Glasgow Set To Vote on Curtailing Drive-Thrus to Combat the Climate Emergency

By Cameron Macpherson

The days of Glasgow drive-thrus popping up look numbered, as a councillor’s bid to reject the building of new drive-thrus was passed last week.

Glasgow councillor Christy Mearns put the motion forward, championing for quicker action towards the building of drive-thrus in Glasgow. Speaking on the matter, Mearns said:

“I’m delighted that Councillors have voted to support Greens calls for quicker action to tackle new drive-thrus in Glasgow. These types of development have no place in our society anymore as we must do all we can to tackle the climate crisis and bring forward more positive, sustainable development for our people and for our planet.

The motion affords councillors the ability to bring forward policy making on issues such as car emissions. Without needing signing off from the Scottish government. Whereas before, councils had to wait for a national policy to be passed if they wanted changes made. Now, officials are able to decide on what level of emissions they deem acceptable and ensure this through ‘bespoke policy’.

This move comes in response to the ease with which drive-thrus were popping up through Glasgow. Which came as a shock to many given the climate emergency.

Mearns said: “More drive-thrus lead to more air pollution, more idling, more cars on the roads, and more entrenching of car use”

The communities in which the drive-thrus were being erected had no say in the matter either. Leading to many being up in arms. As the drive-thru was claimed not to be ‘within their area’. With no local opposition these drive-thrus were being approved and built with ease.

This ties into the deeper issue of Glasgow being the drive-thru capital of Scotland, with more than Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen combined. Whereas across the UK there has been a 41% increase between 2015 and 2020.

These statistics, coupled with climate scientists warning that we are facing irreversible changes to the climate, point to a ‘worrying lack of urgency’ on the climate emergency.

Mearns said: “The agreement today means that we will not have to wait years for suitable policies to be in place – this work will be started urgently and Glasgow can now lead the way on this, backing up our declaration of a Climate Emergency with the action needed to tackle it.”