The Scottish Government yesterday (29 January) revealed a new target to decarbonise electricity generation, as First Minister Alex Salmond outlined that the country will seek to reduce carbon by over four-fifths by 2030.

According to the Scottish Government, in 2010, emissions from Scotland’s electricity grid activity were estimated at 347 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of electricity generated; but under the new target (set to be achieved by 2030), this is set to drop to 50 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour.

In order to reduce carbon emissions, Scotland will focus on renewing investment in Scotland’s offshore wind sector.

Speaking at the Scottish Renewables-Scottish Enterprise Offshore Wind & Supply Chain Conference in Aberdeen, Salmond announced the signing of new Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between Highland & Islands Enterprise (HIE) and four key ports in the region to support the development of the offshore wind sector. This partnership will seek to help the ports attract a potential £100 million of investment to the Highlands.

Salmond said: “We face a global imperative to tackle climate change and how we power our economies is a key part of that. Offshore wind has a strong, vibrant future, with plans to install up to 10 gigawatts of capacity in Scottish waters over the next decade. More sites are being scoped for deployment in the 2020s – alongside commercial wave and tidal generation – as grid and interconnection upgrades and storage are further developed.”

Scottish Renewables Chief Executive Niall Stuart noted the potential economic benefits of these plans, saying: “We know investors view countries that demonstrate a clear vision for how they want to meet their future energy needs favourably. We believe that a new decarbonisation target will be a strong signal to investors across the world that Scotland is a key destination for renewable energy.”

Salmond went on to criticise the UK government’s ‘mixed messages’ on energy policy in the recently finalised Energy Bill, especially chastising the coalition’s reluctance to set a decrabonisation target.

He said: “UK coalition ministers’ mixed messages on energy policy and continuing uncertainty around Electricity Market Reform, including the lack of a decarbonisation target until at least 2016, is undermining confidence and threatening investment by the supply chain.

“We will…continue to urge the UK Government to ensure its industrial strategy for offshore wind gives the right level of support to the supply chain about further deployment plans as costs reduce and offshore wind becomes increasingly competitive as a source of low carbon electricity.”

Friends of the Earth's Director of Policy and Campaigns Craig Bennett welcomed Scotland’s plans, saying: "Scotland has stormed ahead of the rest of the UK by pledging to slash its electricity emissions by 2030. The big question is whether the coalition listens to British business and its climate change advisors and adopts a UK-wide decarbonisation target.

"…Right now Britain has a once-in-generation opportunity to become a world leader in clean technologies that will drive growth, tackle climate change and stabilise our rising fuel bills. Ministers must include a target in the Energy Bill to cut the carbon from UK power by 2030."

Read more about Scotland’s decarbonisation target.