Saving Energy in Scotland

Scotland is aiming to have a net-zero target for all greenhouse gas emission by 2045, with the rest of the UK aiming to meet this by 2050.

But what does this mean? At the moment, we are adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than we are taking out, this means the amount of greenhouses gases is increasing. By reaching net-zero, the amount that we are adding would be equal to the amount that we are taking out. By balancing this out, we wouldn’t be making the climate any worse.

So how is Scotland going to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we make? This is also sometimes called reducing our carbon footprint.

See Scotland's Climate Week - Reasons to be Positive.

One way is changing where our energy comes from, to renewables sources we talked about earlier. About 97% of Scotland’s electricity comes from renewable energy sources, this was only 24% in 2010! You can check out some more detailed information about Scotland’s energy usage at Scottish Renewables.

Another way is to just use less energy! Most of our energy in Scotland is used on heat, followed by transport and then electricity.

Can you think of any ways your town or city has changed to save energy?

Dundee has made lots of changes to be more energy efficient – we reduced our carbon emissions by 25% between 2010 and 2018!

• A lot of our streetlights have been changed to LED bulbs, which use less energy and last for longer, this is something you can do in your own house too!
• You might have seen electric buses appearing, these are more efficient and give out less pollution.
• There are new pedestrian areas and more cycle lanes to encourage people to leave their cars at home.
• Are there any other ways you would like Dundee to change?

Check out some of the ways Dundee Science Centre has changed to be more energy efficient.

Can you think of any ways you could save energy in your own house, school, or workplace? Have a go at filling in the worksheet.

Government initiatives like Home Energy Scotland offer free help and advice on saving energy, reducing fuel bills, cutting water waste and many other ways to help tackle climate change.