Scotland pledges to decarbonize power sector by 2030

Ed Miliband and the shadow Scottish secretary, Margaret Curran, 
with chief executive of Scottish Power Renewables, Keith Anderson. 
Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The Scottish Government has unveiled plans to decarbonise its energy sector by 2030 and boost the offshore wind energy supply chain, as it also prepares to update its climate change strategy.

First Minister Alex Salmond confirmed that Scotland would aim to cut emissions from the electricity sector from 347 grams of CO2 per kWh in 2010, to 50g CO2/kWh by 2030, as recommended by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).

Recent figures showed Scotland has the best emissions reductions in Western Europe, ahead of Germany, Denmark and England, and is more than halfway to meeting a 2020 goal of reducing emissions 42 per cent against a 1990 base line.

The Scottish Government has backed calls for a UK-wide power sector decarbonisation target for 2030. [Business Green]