PressRelease11thFebruary2016

UKONEOFTHEWORSTRENEWABLEPERFORMERS
TheUKGovernmentwastodaycriticisedbytheEuropeanCommissionforfailingto
makesufficientprogresstowardsEuropewiderenewableenergytargetsaddingto
callsfortheToriestoreversetheirdamagingcutstorenewablessupport.
StatisticsreleasedtodayshowthattheUKareamongthosecountriesfurthestaway
fromreachingtheirrenewablestargets,withonlyFranceandtheNetherlands
furtherfromtheir2020goal.EachEUcountryhasatargetforrenewablegrowth,
whichtakesintoaccountthedifferentstartingpoints,renewableenergypotential
andeconomicperformance.
OnlytheNetherlands(5.5%),Malta(4.7%)andLuxembourg(4.5%)producea
lowerproportionofrenewableenergythantheUK.
RenewableenergyhasbeenasuccessstoryinScotlandoverrecentyears,with
49.7%ofScotlandselectricityconsumptionnowcomingfromrenewablesources
andwithScottishrenewablegenerationmakingupapproximately29%oftotalUK
renewableoutput.TheScottishGovernmentstargetisfor100%ofScotlands
electricitydemandtobesuppliedfromrenewablesourcesby2020.
Commenting,SNPMSPDennisRobertsonsaid:
TheUKGovernmentshouldbeappalledthattheyaresofarbehindtheirrenewable
energytargetsandthattheUKisbeingnamedandshamedasoneoftheworst
performingcountriesintheEU.
InScotlandrenewableenergyalreadyaccountsforalmosthalfofourhousehold
electricitydemand.YetTorycutstosupportforonshorerenewablesthreatento
underminetheformidableprogresswevemade.
WeareambitiousaboutScotlandsrenewablepotentialandourcontributionto
globaleffortstotackleclimatechangeiftheUKGovernmentisseriousabout
meetingtheircommitments,theywillhalttheirdamagingcutstorenewables
support.