What is the SNP doing to support renewable energy generation?

By 2030, we aim to generate 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources, as we pave the way to reaching the world-class target of net zero by 2045.

To ensure we are on track to do so, we will publish a refreshed Energy Strategy to map out our transition.

With particular focus on Aberdeen and the North East, our Energy Transition Scotland programme will ensure that Scottish industry plays a leading role in the development and deployment of new, low carbon technologies, like marine renewables, hydrogen and CCUS.

Building on Scotland’s strength in energy, we will develop a new programme of work within our enterprise agencies, working with companies in high carbon industries like oil and gas to develop new technologies or access new low-carbon markets for their products, both nationally and internationally.

We need to harness the power of all our natural resources and also enable rural and island communities to thrive.

That means getting the balance right between allowing appropriate development and protecting the environment.  We will review and streamline such processes so that non-controversial renewable energy developments can be completed quickly, benefiting locals and visitors.

The current ScotWind offshore wind leasing round could raise up to £860 million for the public purse. This shows the benefits that can come to Scotland from owning and developing our own natural resources to tackle climate change.  We will look at options for investing income from offshore wind leases in future projects that will tackle climate change and create a legacy for the future.

We will also continue to work to increase the proportion of any renewables developments that are made in Scotland to ensure we can support jobs onshore as well as offshore.