WWF has released a study showing that in just 15 years from now, Scotland has the potential to be completely fossil fuel-free.
Scotland has already set an exceptional target, to cut carbon emissions from electricity generation 80% by 2030. This is on top of the EU 2030 target which is a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions.
The WWF report: Pathways to Power, shows Scotland currently planning to rely on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), but to embrace the power of Scotland's wind and waves would be more beneficial and yield a more efficient and cheaper method to reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation.
Carbon capture and storage ( CCS ) (or carbon capture and sequestration ) is the process of capturing waste carbon dioxide (CO2) from large point sources , such as fossil fuel power plants , transporting it to a storage site, and depositing it where it will not enter the atmosphere, normally an underground geological formation .
Scotland's Climate Change Minster has this to say:
“Scotland's renewable energy targets are amongst the most ambitious in the world and we are punching above our weight in the international effort to tackle climate change. For example, we generated 44.4% of gross electricity consumption from renewables in 2013 and we are making excellent progress towards meeting the interim target of the equivalent of 50% of gross electricity consumption from renewables by 2015 and the equivalent of at least 100% of gross electricity consumption from renewables by 2020. We will continue to press the UK Government to deliver the level of certainty required for investment in the technologies and in the associated infrastructure, as we continue to work towards meeting our ambitious targets."
Last Month it was announced that the worlds largest tidal energy project would launch in northeast Scotland January 2015. You can read more about that by clicking here.
This positive and inspirational news is a great start to the new year! Lets hope we are hearing more and more news like this in the lead up to the ParisCOP.
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