WWF Scotland Statement: Low carbon industries worth almost £11bn

29 Nov 2016 02:08 PM

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks commented on the news yesterday (Tuesday 29 November) that low carbon industries in Scotland generated nearly £11 billion in turnover and supported 43,500 jobs in 2014 [1], 

These figures underline the importance of low-carbon businesses to Scotland in helping our economy grow and creating new jobs.

"The leadership that the Scottish Government has shown, through setting ambitious targets for renewable electricity generation, has helped Scotland capture a far greater proportion of jobs in key renewable industries in the UK.

"However, with electricity generation now accounting for less than one quarter of Scotland's climate change emissions, it's now time to begin to reap the same benefits by increasing the use of renewables  in our heat and transport sectors.

“Setting ambitious renewable electricity targets helped give industry certainty. A new target to generate half of all our energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 would do the same for other parts of our economy, especially heat and transport."

Notes to Editors

  1. ONS - UK environmental accounts: Low carbon and renewable energy economy, total activity: 2014: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/finalestimates/totalactivity2014
  2. Scottish Government press release http://news.gov.scot/news/low-carbon-industries-worth-almost-gbp-11bn