The volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions displaced by Scotland’s renewable energy sector has increased by almost 10% in one year, according Scottish Renewables.
The industry group said UK government figures show more than 13m tonnes of CO2 were displaced by wind, hydro and solar in 2015, the most recent year for which figures are available.
The data on renewable electricity was in a written answer from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Scottish Renewables said.
Scottish Renewables chief executive Niall Stuart said: “These new figures show the ever-growing contribution of renewable energy to the fight against climate change.
“Onshore wind has been behind much of the rise in renewable electricity capacity in the last 10 years, but we expect both onshore wind and solar to be excluded from the next round of auctions for contracts for low carbon power.
“Both technologies could make a significant contribution to meeting our future climate change targets, keeping bills down for consumers and to driving industrial activity. For all those reasons we believe that both should be able to bid for contracts for clean power in future government auctions.”
Image: Farr wind farm in Scotland (Siemens)
Clean power cuts Scots emissions
Government data shows renewables reduced CO2 by almost 10% last year
By EBS