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NEWS & INSIGHTS | article

Galvanizing a Net Zero nation through technology

07 October 2021 2 minute read

Innovation is key to our response to the climate change emergency

The climate emergency is real, and we’re feeling the effects. Scotland had its fourth hottest summer on record, according to Met Office data. Glasgow, which will host COP26 in November, saw its highest summer temperatures since records began in 1884. The urgency around plans to decarbonise our industries and our planet has never been greater.

As a nation we take for granted the security of our energy supply that fuels transport, heats our homes and powers entire industries. An energy supply that has historically come from high carbon emitting sources, such as coal and oil and gas.

Ten years ago, the ambition to reach net zero by 2050 may have seemed unattainable, yet a renewable-powered future is being quickly realised as we rapidly transition to cleaner energy sources such as hydrogen, solar, wind, wave and tidal.

Today, Scottish Government data indicates over 97 per cent of Scotland’s electricity is generated from renewable sources. The UK is second only to Germany in the percentage of renewable energy used according to a study by Compare the Market which evaluated 21 countries.

Whilst advances are being made there is still a long way to go. In May 2021, the Climate Change Committee reported that the UK is not currently on track to meet its carbon budget targets in 2025 and 2030. We need to accelerate the pace by reducing existing emissions and actively remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

The Net Zero Technology Centre is at the epicentre of Scotland’s plan to achieve net zero.

Read the full story in FutureScot here.

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