Scotland is “on the cusp” of a climate technology revolution, according to a new report highlighting the nation’s credentials for tackling global warming.
It says the country is already playing a leading role in developing technology that can help meet the challenge of climate change.
And it points to a string of north and north-east projects that are creating global opportunities for Scottish firms to capitalise on climate technology needs across a range of sectors, including energy, the built environment, land-use and transport.
Case studies include ENVision technology, developed by Aberdeen-based engineering and project management services giant Wood, which streamlines and automates data to deliver a more accurate view of carbon emissions from any asset, organisation or city.
Artificial intelligence and climate technology-based energy storage projects in Orkney, the proposed Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub and flagship Acorn carbon capture and storage project at St Fergus gas terminal, near Peterhead, are also highlighted.
The world’s first double-decker buses in Aberdeen, an electric taxi fleet and groundbreaking food production projects in Dundee, and Stonehaven firm Trojan Energy, which recently secured £4 million of funding to support its development of a new electric vehicle charging system, are among other examples of “world-class innovation” highlighted in the report.
A new hydrogen accelerator at St Andrews University, ScottishPower’s 10-point plan for clean and sustainable economic growth, and a commitment by the Scottish arm of professional services giant PwC to cut its total greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in absolute terms by 2030 are also showcased,
The report by ScotlandIS, the membership and cluster management organisation for Scotland’s digital technologies industry, was commissioned by economic development quango Scottish Enterprise (SE).
ScotlandIS interim chief executive Karen Meechan said: “The race to net-zero and addressing climate change are global priorities.
“Although a sector in its infancy, climate tech is already making a big impact. Scotland is superbly well-positioned to become a climate tech centre of global excellence, building on the nation’s expertise in renewable energy, low-carbon transport and cutting emissions in both the rural and urban environment.
“Our climate tech report is the first document in Scotland setting out the size, scale and nature of the climate tech sector.
“The UK and Scotland are both well-placed to support the digital community create a flourishing climate tech ecosystem.”
SE interim chief executive Linda Hanna said: “Innovative technology and digital solutions have a core role to help get us to net-zero.
“Climate tech is a rapidly emerging industry, with enormous potential across sectors such as energy, sustainable transport, the built environment, agriculture and land use.
“This report captures the growth and investment potential of climate tech, highlighting some of the Scottish companies already successfully working in this space.
“With COP26 around the corner, this project provides a platform for Scotland to lead the way digitally to become a net-zero nation and support the economy’s green recovery too.”
