Government planning rules are delaying renewable energy schemes for years – Dr Sam Gardner, ScottishPower

The last big electricity transmission line built in Scotland took 15 years to get through permitting and construction

Scotland’s Climate Week is a time for the whole country to come together to show how we can tackle the climate emergency and become a net-zero nation by 2045. That’s not something we can ignore or think will be done for us – we all have a role, and responsibility, in making that happen, as individuals, as families, as consumers, as businesses.

And that’s the theme of this year’s Climate Week – taking action in areas that can make the most difference, while keeping our eyes on the net-zero prize. There’s been lots of talk in the last few days about net zero, why it matters and how we get there. What that’s really confirmed for me is not just the importance of having that net-zero North Star guiding our way, but how vital it is to have clear milestones keeping us on the right track for that cleaner, greener future.

To achieve that, our focus must shift from ambition to action. With that in mind, it was encouraging to hear the First Minister say at last week’s New York climate summit that “the time for talking is over” and “what we need now is action”. I couldn’t agree more.

Scotland’s forthcoming Energy Strategy & Just Transition Plan and Climate Change Plan can really bring that to life – putting in place the policies to support investment, create new jobs, support supply chains, improve public health and help create a thriving society and sustainable economy. We can build on the transformation we have seen across the power sector and show the same climate leadership by setting out bold actions that will drive down emissions, especially from heating and transport, which are the two biggest contributors to our climate emissions.

Around a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions come from heating our homes and workplaces, and what we need to see is a clear pathway for how we will turbocharge the move away from gas boilers to cleaner and more sustainable forms of heating. Decarbonising Scotland’s homes and buildings is crucial to meeting the 2045 target. We urgently need to establish the regulatory framework for zero emissions heating and energy efficiency, and the necessary underpinning powers to support this transition. We can then kick start this process so we can consult on and pass the Heat in Buildings Bill as soon as possible.

Alongside this, addressing car use is essential if we’re to reach net zero by 2045 – whether that’s reducing the need to travel by supporting 20-minute neighbourhoods, encouraging a modal shift to active travel and public transport or, of course, enabling the adoption of EVs. Again, the Energy Strategy & Just Transition Plan and Climate Change Plan can help us get there and minimise the potential climate impacts – not just on our country and people, but globally.

This summer has shown that we don’t have to look far to see the devastating impact of climate change, so doing nothing – or just talking about doing something – is not an option. The message couldn’t be starker – we have to take action now. As the First Minister said: “The stakes could not be higher. The very existence of our planet and humanity depends on it.”

As the first integrated energy company to generate only 100 per cent green electricity, serving millions of customers across the UK, employing thousands of staff and investing £8 million every working day in cleaner and greener futures, ScottishPower is here to support people and communities on that journey. For us, that means increasing renewables capacity to generate more homegrown green electricity; strengthening the grid to support the increase in low-carbon technologies; and providing the smart solutions for customers to make the most of all of this by 2045 – among other work.

But if we’re to stand any chance of making that net-zero deadline, we need to be able to do all of this faster. Quite simply, green energy projects are taking far too long to clear the planning process. It takes two years to build an offshore wind farm, but ten years to get it from the drawing board and through planning; and half that for onshore.

The last big electricity transmission line built in Scotland, Beauly-Denny, took 15 years to get through permitting and construction. By those standards, we would reach 2045 before we know it, with nothing changed. The recent Onshore Wind Sector Deal signed between the Scottish Government and the industry sets out commitments to reduce planning determination timescales, which is very welcome.

What we now need from both the Scottish and UK governments is a commitment to speed up the planning process to one year for all new renewables as well as the grid infrastructure that connects them to the network. It’s no good building the low-carbon generation if you can’t move the power to where it’s needed.

The year 2045 might seem like a very long way away, but there are only seven years until 2030 and, if Scotland is to be on track, we must cut our emissions by 75 per cent by then, so bold action is required now. Leadership in renewables has given the UK a head start in the global race to deliver the economic and environmental benefits of net zero.

We must capitalise on this by continuing to decarbonise our heating and transport sectors, urgently developing new renewables and grid projects, and ensuring the energy transition is a fair and just one that creates opportunities for everyone. In its last progress report to the Scottish Parliament, the Climate Change Committee was unequivocal that we are not moving at the pace or scale required to meet our targets.

We need to speed up and we need to do it now. Scotland was the first country to declare a climate emergency in 2019, so let’s make this year’s Climate Week the launchpad for furthering our collective climate consciousness, taking climate action and becoming climate ready. We can do it and we must do it.

Dr Sam Gardner is ScottishPower’s head of climate change and sustainability