ScottishPower launched Zero Carbon Communities on Thursday 6 February – offering a roadmap to help Glasgow become the UK’s first net zero city. The roadmap launches nine months before the city hosts the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26.
Independent forecasts suggest more than 175,000 electric vehicle charge points, including nearly 17,000 chargers in non-residential areas will need to be installed to reach the target. Capital Economics estimates the costs of installing these to be £298mn. Moreover, the installation of 244,000 heat pumps will cost around £1.4bn.
Glasgow’s energy network will need £648mn of investment to facilitate net zero, according to Capital Economics. But by investing in a planned and strategic way, SP Energy Networks believes there is potential to reduce network investment costs by 30%-40%. SP Energy Networks is investing £20mn between now and 2022 to facilitate an increase in available network capacity and to support regeneration initiatives.
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of ScottishPower, said: “With the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, is coming to Glasgow later this year, the city will be able to showcase its commitment to reaching Net Zero on a global stage.”
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