100% of energy from renewables ‘essential’ for the planet, Greens say

It is “essential” for the UK to generate 100% of its energy from renewable sources, the Scottish Greens have said.

As the General Election campaign enters its final week, the party have called for Scotland and the wider UK to aim to power heating, transport and electricity from green sources.

Ahead of a visit to an East Lothian wind farm, the party’s co-leader Lorna Slater touted her plans for a £28 billion annual investment to bring about a Green New Deal.

“100% of our energy coming from renewables is essential for our planet, and it could also save the public billions compared to relying on false solutions like carbon capture and storage,” she said.

“It would be a huge opportunity for our climate, but also for our economy.

“Scotland has an abundance of renewable resources and we need to put them at the heart of our energy plans.

“That is why we are proposing a Green New Deal that would see £28 billion of public investment every year, funded by taxes on polluters and the top 1% of wealthiest households.

“Investment is critical if we are to be at the leading edge of the global renewables revolution and deliver a robust, secure and cheap energy system for all.

“In recent years we have seen rapid technological development. Heat pumps now offer an extremely efficient alternative to gas boilers, energy storage solutions are coming online, and electric cars are rapidly pushing out the old-fashioned internal combustion engine.

“The costs of green technologies are plummeting too. The price of solar panels has come down by 90% over the last decade, threatening to make fossil fuel alternatives obsolete.

“It’s inexplicable that instead of embracing green solutions, Labour and Tories are doubling down on nuclear power, which is costly, dangerous and leaves a long and toxic legacy.”

Scottish Tory candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Andrew Bowie said: “The Greens’ dogmatic refusal to back new nuclear developments in Scotland continues to defy common sense.

“Their blinkered views mean Scotland’s economic and energy needs will be harmed in the years ahead.

“Voters across Scotland recognise nuclear should be part of our energy mix as we transition to net zero, rather than the Greens – and the SNP – dismissing it for purely ideological reasons.”