Scottish Power is one of the largest energy companies in the UK, supplying gas and electricity to 5 million UK homes and businesses.
Chief executive Keith Anderson has issued some blunt honesty for the UK’s politicians. In an interview with the Financial Times, Anderson says that whoever wins the UK General election on July 4th must “tackle head-on” the practical and bureaucratic problems holding back the UK’s green transition.
After “lots of conversations”, Scottish Power calls for urgent action if the UK is going to make a successful transition.
What are the UK’s green targets?
The UK is legally committed to cutting its emissions to net-zero by 2050. We investigated whether the UK is on track for this in a recent article.
The 2050 net-zero goal is the main green target for the UK. In order to achieve this huge task, the UK has outlined several smaller targets to help reach its goal. These include:
- Decarbonising the electricity system by 2035
- Ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030
- Ensuring 10% of the fuels used by airlines by 2030 are sustainable
- Installing no new gas boilers from 2035
- Supporting greener farming
- Improving greenhouse gas removals
Scottish Power tells ministers to “get moving”
Keith Anderson, the Chief Executive of Scottish Power, stated that ministers must address multiple challenges, including skills shortages and lengthy planning and procurement processes. These challenges are slowing the transition to green energy by hindering the progress of projects like hydrogen plants and electricity cables.
“We are still using the same processes, we’re still having all the same conversations. Nothing has changed. Nothing’s got faster and nothing is any different.”
Anderson says that it’s time for ministers to “get on the front foot” of the green energy transition. He raised frustrations with the shortage of skills, and at a lack of urgency.
Fundamentally the process doesn’t work properly — you’re looking at these huge, big infrastructure projects; we need to move faster [ . . .] short circuit the process and get everybody in the room.
Wider concerns about the green transition
The Scottish Power calls for urgency are not a rarity. Many voices across the UK have raised their concerns about the delays with UK net-zero policy.
The Climate Change Committee has highlighted that delays and U-turns in green policies make green targets “harder to achieve“.
Meanwhile, a study from Oxford Economics reveals that out of the world’s eight largest economies, the UK is set to have the slowest growth in low-carbon electricity generation between now and 2030.
Money-saving home improvements
To help achieve the UK’s net-zero goal, there are a number of government-backed schemes and grants available to homeowners and private tenants. Under these schemes, you can receive funding for home upgrades designed to improve the energy efficiency of your home. This means cheaper bills, and a lower carbon footprint!
Free solar panels with the ECO4 Scheme
With the government-backed ECO4 Scheme, you can get these measures installed for FREE if you qualify! This includes free solar panels, insulation, and an air source heat pump. You can see if you qualify in as little as 30 seconds by clicking the button below!
