Scotland leads renewables' role in responding to climate change report 'red code'
SCOTLAND is serving as a leading example of how to switch power generation to renewable energy as the world’s largest ever report into climate change this morning delivered what has been described as a code red warning.
The climate change report was released this morning by an intergovernmental UN Panel. It has been called a ‘massive wake-up’ call to governments to cut emissions.
It comes as the latest data reveals Scotland is one of the top three European countries producing electricity from renewable sources. Figures for last year from the Scottish government show that 97% of Scotland’s electricity was produced from renewable sources
Our success at producing electricity from renewables is ahead of that of Sweden, Denmark and Germany. It’s also considerably better than the UK as a whole
That was a rise of 8% on the year before and has been calculated as the equivalent of powering all households in the country for almost three and a half years, charging almost 7 billion phones for a year, or running all Scottish fridges for more than eight years.
Our success at producing electricity from renewables is ahead of that of Sweden, Denmark and Germany. It’s also considerably better than the UK as a whole. Data published in March this year showed renewables generated 43% of the UK’s electricity in 2020.
A report by Greenmatch in March showed that offshore and onshore wind is the biggest source of renewable energy in the UK. It generates 13.8% more electricity than other renewable sources and beats the combined generation of coal, oil and others by 6.5%.
And Scotland is particularly rich in wind power resources. It has 25% of Europe’s entire offshore wind power resources.
The most powerful tidal-powered turbine in the world recently started to generate electricity via the grid in Orkney. The Orbital O2 has the capacity to meet the annual electricity demand of 2,000 homes for the next 15 years. It was sailed out of Dundee, where it was assembled over 18 months, in May and is now anchored in the Fall of Warness.
The most recent data cements Scotland’s position as a leading force in the development of green energy in the lead up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Scotland also boasts 25% of Europe’s tidal energy resources and 10% of its wave energy potential. In 2018 it accounted for 24% of the UK’s renewable energy generation.
The most recent data cements Scotland’s position as a leading force in the development of green energy in the lead up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference - known as COP26 - in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12.
That will be held in the shadow of a report published this morning which has been described as ‘a code red for humanity’. After the report was published UN secretary general Antonio Guterress said: ‘If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But as today’s report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses.
‘I count on government leaders and all stakeholders to ensure COP26 is a success’.
Although the report says some effects of climate change - such as sea level rises – are irreversible there is new hope that deep cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases could stabilise rising temperatures.
According to the European Environment Agency the growth in renewable energy is one of the most successful measures driving down greenhouse gas emissions in Europe.