THE Scottish Government is expected to hit its target for cutting climate pollution for the first time in five years – but only because of changes in the way emissions are counted. The new climate change minister, Roseanna Cunningham, looks likely to tell the Scottish Parliament tomorrow that the statutory target for 2014 has been met. Every previous annual target for 2010 to 2013 has been missed. But the main reason for the success will be that the complex rules on how the European Union’s emissions trading system is taken into account have changed. This has the effect of making Scotland’s targets easier to meet. A new analysis by environmentalists shows that most sectors of Scottish society have achieved only minimal reductions in carbon pollution. Emissions fr om public sector buildings, businesses and farms dropped by less that one per cent between 2009 and 2013, with falls of just a few per cent from homes and transport (see table opposite). According to government advisors, the new carbon accounting rules also mean that climate targets need be raised if parliament wants to fulfil its original ambitions. Campaigners are calling for “real emission reductions”, and for the 2020 target for cutting pollution to be increased from 42 to 56 per cent.
The National 13th June 2016 read more »
WWF-Scotland has called on the Scottish Government to make greater use of the country’s renewable energy resources and potential. According to WWF-Scotland, the upcoming governmental review of Scotland’s energy strategy must strive to make greater use of the country’s renewable energy potential, and set out plans to be powered by 100% renewable energy. WWF-Scotland’s call comes as it releases its own analysis of the country’s solar and wind power data provided by WeatherEnergy. The role of renewable energy in Scotland only continues to increase, as was exemplified in May’s energy data. Scottish homes fitted with solar PV panels were able to generate 100% of the electricity needed in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness, and homes fitted with solar hot water panels were able to generate 100% of an average household’s hot water need s in Aberdeen and Dundee, 98% in Inverness, 97% in Edinburgh, and 94% in Glasgow. Wind turbines in Scotland generated 692,896 MWh of electricity to the National Grid, which is enough to supply, on average, the electrical needs of 76% of Scottish households, or around 1.8 million homes. More specifically, wind energy generated enough electricity on 10 out of the 31 days of May to supply 100% or more of household needs. At the end of the month, wind power in Scotland for the month of May generated 36% of Scotland’s entire electricity needs for the month.
Clean Technica 10th June 2016 read more »