Ministerial Foreword
These are pivotal times for renewable energy. We have made tremendous progress in recent years - the amount of renewable electricity as a percentage of whole consumption has doubled since 2002. As a result, we are well on our way to meeting and exceeding the Scottish Government's target of 50% by 2020.
That the sector continues to expand and flourish is vital. The Scottish Government has passed world leading legislation on climate change, setting a target of a 42% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Renewable energy will play an important part in helping achieve these cuts.
The Scottish Government is also committed to achieve a headline target of 20% of total Scottish energy use coming from renewables sources by 2020, in harmony with the EU target. Our Renewables Action Plan, published earlier this summer, establishes a framework and the actions that we will take to move towards this target.
Meeting the 20% target requires a still greater contribution from the renewable electricity sector, and the successful exploitation of offshore wind, wave and tidal power. As such, we need to continue to ensure, in partnership with the other UK administrations, that the Renewables Obligation remains suitably structured and targeted.
It's vital that the Obligation is able to meet the challenges posed by the higher targets for electricity, and that it remains effective and responsive to the cost issues facing both the renewables sector and consumers.
We would be grateful, as ever, for your views on the proposals and matters raised within this document.
Jim Mather MSP,
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism.