Rural and Environment

Launch of ScotWind

June 11, 2020 by Roseanna Cunningham No Comments | Category Climate Change

Staff at Crown Estate Scotland have, like so many others, been working through incredibly challenging times, maintaining business continuity during lockdown by supporting tenants while keeping core business activities running.

And yesterday, it has launched ScotWind, the first round of offshore wind leasing to be administered in Scotland.

This is a significant milestone – both for Crown Estate Scotland and for our ambitions to end Scotland’s contribution to climate change within a generation. This round involves sites with a potential capacity of more than ten times Scotland’s current offshore wind capacity.

The Scottish Crown Estate Act came into force in early 2019, bringing new powers and duties to help Crown Estate Scotland manage the assets in line with the overall aspirations and objectives of the Scottish Government and in a way that contributes to Scotland’s economic development, regeneration, and social and environmental wellbeing.

The first Strategic Management Plan for the Scottish Crown Estate commits to maximising the opportunities and benefits from the Scottish Crown Estate assets for Scotland and its communities. ScotWind not only has the potential to increase the revenues generated from the Estate, but also the chance to grow our economy through green job creation.

Given the need now for Scotland to chart a social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, these objectives have become ever more vital.

As we emerge from the crisis, we have a chance to re-imagine the Scotland around us, and to begin building a greener, fairer and more equal society and economy, one in which wellbeing, fair work and social justice are prioritised.

I commend Crown Estate Scotland on today’s launch of ScotWind which I am sure will play a pivotal role in delivering on these objectives over the coming years – for the benefit of our communities, our society and our continuing transition to net zero.

Tags: climate change, Crown Estate Scotland, Scotland, Scottish Government, ScotWind

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