Sturgeon’s pledge to bring new Climate Change Bill welcomed

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s pledge to forge ahead with a new Climate Change Bill and energy strategy has been welcomed by Pinsent Masons.

A commitment to reduce Scotland’s carbon emissions by more than 50 per cent by 2020 will underpin new legislation which sets out carbon infrastructure priorities, the First Minister told the Scottish Parliament as she outlined the 2017 Programme for Government.

Energy efficiency has been identified as a national infrastructure priority and the proposed legislation is envisaged to not only meet climate change obligations but “provide investors with certainty and a clear sense of direction”.

Kate Turner, a legal director at Pinsent Masons who specialises in energy sector projects, said: “The commitment to delivering a new Climate Change plan and Energy Strategy is a positive signal to the market.

“We will need to see the detailed strategy but would like to see it address energy demand reduction through improved energy efficiency and heat measures alongside the integration of energy storage capacity in to the market, and a clear commitment to low carbon generation capacity and addressing energy use in the transport sector. These are key areas which should feature strongly in any new energy strategy for Scotland.”

The First Minister also announced that a Warm Homes Bill would be introduced and that over the next three years more than £500 million of public funding would be spent on helping households and businesses achieve social, economic and environmental benefits.