Scottish Government needs to increase ambition on community renewables

Reacting to the launch of the Scottish Renewables manifesto and call for a 50% renewables target of all energy by 2030, Anne Schiffer, energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“This call from Scottish Renewables is welcome as we need a holistic approach to the renewable energy transition in Scotland that integrates electricity, heat and transport. We also need to make sure that communities don’t miss out. Therefore we are calling on the Scottish Government to increase the current 500MW target of community and locally owned energy by 2020 to 1GW and also set an ambitious target of 2GW by 2030.”

Schiffer continued: “In a difficult UK policy environment, it is vital that Scotland continues to lead the way to an energy future based on renewables that deliver for local economies.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Scottish Renewables manifesto will be posted on their website: https://www.scottishrenewables.com

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland Community Power campaigns for people’s ownership of renewable energy. It aims to improve policy and legislation and build broad public support for community energy across Europe. For more information visit www.communitypower.eu
3. FoE Scotland's work on community energy is supported by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery : http://foe-scotland.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b5ad0d61b2a67d22c68bf7d8d&id=51fe552207&e=19c11bb1f3
People’s Postcode Lottery is a charity lottery. Players play with their postcodes to win cash prizes while raising money for charities and good causes local to them.
People’s Postcode Lottery is an External Lottery Manager and manages multiple society lotteries promoted by different causes supporting a range of good causes. For details on which society lottery is running each week, visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk/society
Postcode Lottery Limited is regulated by the Gambling Commission under certificate nr 829-N-102511-009 and 829-R-102513-008. Registered office: Titchfield House, 69/85 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2A 4RR
People’s Postcode Lottery players support the following Trusts – Postcode Green Trust, Postcode Care Trust, Postcode Culture Trust, Postcode Animal Trust, Postcode Heroes Trust, Postcode Global Trust, Postcode African Trust, Postcode Children Trust, Postcode Community Trust and People’s Postcode Trust. These Trusts are funded entirely by players and support a variety of good causes. For further information on each charity, visit: www.postcodelottery.co.uk/charities
50p from every £2 ticket goes to good causes and players have raised over £61 Million for good causes across the country
There are five draws a month with prizes every day and each ticket costs £2 – paid monthly in advance by direct debit. For further prize information, visit: www.postcodelottery.co.uk/prizes
Maximum amount a single ticket can win is 10% of the draw revenue to a maximum of £400,000
Players can sign up by Direct Debit, credit card or PayPal online at www.postcodelottery.co.uk , or by calling 0808 10-9-8-7-6-5.
4. Friends of the Earth Scotland is:
* Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation
* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 74 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups.