A record number of people are now employed in the renewable energy sector in Scotland, an industry survey suggests.
A Scottish Renewables survey of more than 540 renewables firms indicates that there were 11,695 people in full-time employment last summer, an increase of 5% on the previous year.
Growth in renewables jobs outstripped the growth in employment in the Scottish economy as a whole, according to Scottish Renewables.
Most staff were employed in Glasgow, the Lothians, Highlands & Islands and the North East.
Onshore wind (39%), offshore wind (21%), marine and bioenergy (both 9%) were the biggest sources of employment.
More than half (54%) of firms said they would be looking to employ more people in the next 12 months, with 42% saying their employment would stay the same and only 1.6% expecting it to decrease.
Joss Blamire, senior policy manager for Scottish Renewables, said: “These latest figures show the renewables industry has seen steady growth in the number of people being employed despite an uncertain year.
“The breadth of job opportunities for project managers, ecologists and engineers has led to a wide range of people seeing renewable energy as a sector where they can use their skills and training.
“Renewables is proving it can be a significant contributor to many local economies throughout the country, with emerging sectors such as offshore wind and marine energy already playing their part in creating much-needed job opportunities.
“Not only are more people employed in renewables than ever before but there is a huge amount of positivity about the future, with a majority of companies looking to expand their operations and take on more employees.
“The survey also found that market reforms in the electricity sector, planning issues and connecting projects to the grid were all cited as potential barriers that could get in the way of future growth.
“We cannot become complacent over these positive job numbers when such considerable threats are on the horizon.
“As the New Year gets under way, the renewable energy sector in Scotland will be looking at how it can overcome these barriers to secure even more jobs and further investment as well as reduce emissions from our energy sector over the next 12 months.”
WWF Scotland’s head of policy, Sam Gardner, said: “This report underlines the fact that not only is Scotland’s renewable sector cutting climate emissions and meeting 40% of our electricity needs, it is also an increasingly important employer across Scotland.
“Although there are no offshore wind farms currently under construction in Scottish waters, it is already the second biggest employer across the whole industry, hinting at the huge opportunity ahead for Scotland in this sector.
“With careful planning and responsible development, we can harness the enormous energy resource of our seas, create thousands more jobs and play an essential role in the journey to a low carbon economy.
“If we are to secure the triple win of cutting emissions, creating jobs and reducing costs we need to see clear, long-term horizons to give confidence and stability.
“This means Scottish and UK ministers must work to secure a strong EU 2030 energy package that sets a clear target of growth in renewable power.”
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