Scotland’s green energy industry provides a “fantastic” 58,500 full-time
jobs, new figures have revealed.
Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse and environmental campaigners welcomed the
statistics, which show that in 2015 there were the equivalent of 31,000
full-time jobs in the low-carbon and renewable sector and a further 27,500
indirect posts.
But both Mr Wheelhouse and WWF Scotland warned UK Government policies could
be damaging for the industry.
Mr Wheelhouse said: “While I celebrate the success these figures indicate
for Scotland, I am under no illusions whatsoever as to what the wider
effect of damaging UK Government decisions, and indecision, may be having
on the sector in Scotland and the UK over the longer term and these figures
demonstrate the scale of progress that continued, sub-optimal UK policies
will put at risk.”
The figures show Scotland has more than 13% of the UK jobs in the
low-carbon and renewable energy sector.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data also reveals the industry
across the UK generated a total turnover of £77.7 billion in 2015 – with
£10.5 billion of this coming from Scotland.
In addition, more than half (52.9%) of UK turnover from onshore wind power
projects came from Scotland, with this amounting to £1.5 billion
Mr Wheelhouse said: “These are impressive figures that show how the
Scottish Government’s focus on decarbonising our energy system has not only
allowed us to meet our climate change obligations, and to have done so
early, but it has also significantly boosted the Scottish economy.
“They show how large the sector was in 2015 and, with 58,500 employees and
a turnover of £10.5 billion, the huge opportunity that green energy
presents in generating the kind of sustainable growth from which all
Scotland benefits.
“It is also telling that these statistics show a sector in rude health, and
playing a growing role in our economy, just as the UK Government removed a
number of key support mechanisms that have encouraged substantial growth.”
WWF Scotland director Lang Banks stated: “It’s fantastic to see the number
of renewable and low-carbon jobs continuing to rise in Scotland. This
growth in green jobs has mainly been driven by stretching government
targets followed up by enabling policies and other support.
“These figures also underline the importance of onshore wind to Scotland,
both in terms of our economy and in creating jobs. It’s therefore
disappointing that the UK Government has ended its support for onshore
wind, especially if that results in these jobs figures going down in future.
“Undermining onshore wind in Scotland will make it far more expensive for
the entire UK to meet its climate change obligations.”
Lindsay Roberts, senior policy manager at the industry body Scottish
Renewables, said: “These new figures once again clearly show the important
economic impact of Scotland’s renewable energy sector.
“Technologies like wind, hydro, renewable heat and solar are delivering
significant levels of employment and investment across the country and it’s
crucial that renewed ambitions for the sector, set out in Scotland’s draft
energy strategy, are complemented by the right support from government,
both at Westminster and in Edinburgh.”
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