September 2011

In May 2011, the Scottish Government announced its target to generate the equivalent of 100% of Scotland's total electricity demand from renewable resources by 2020.

Small-scale renewable electricity schemes could generate more than twice the output of Sizewell B nuclear power station by 2020 if Ministers improve the proposed Clean Energy Cash-back scheme due to be launched in April 2010, Friends of the Earth says.

Commenting on energy minister Ed Miliband's announcements on more nuclear power stations today, Ben Ayliffe, head of Greenpeace's nuclear campaign, said:

"Miliband can name as many sites as he likes for new nuclear power stations, but the fact remains that the figures simply don't add up.

"Even the Thatcher government realised this. It was exactly 20 years ago to the day that they pulled nuclear plants from the energy privatisation scheme when they realised that nuclear power was not an attractive investment for private companies. And it still isn't.

A day after climate change talks ended in deadlock in Bangkok one of the richest men in the world, George Soros pledged US$1 billion as an investment in clean energy technology. Will this make a difference in terms of reducing carbon emissions? Yes, probably…But a further question is: Will the clean energy technology be adopted [...]

The Government today launched its Low Carbon Transition Plan - a route map towards achieving a 34% reduction in UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. In response, Ashok Sinha, Director of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition said

Members of our coalition will welcome this announcement. Ed Miliband must be congratulated for at last offering a step-wise plan to tackling the UK’s carbon emissions.