The next UK Government risks being cut adrift in the global race to a clean energy future unless investment, infrastructure and innovation are at the heart of its plans to secure a world-class clean energy system, according to industry body Scottish Renewables.

In its manifesto launched today (June 7) ahead of the upcoming General Election, Scottish Renewables sets out the top priorities for Scotland's renewable energy industry over the next five years, highlighting the importance of attracting private investment, delivering strategic infrastructure and maintaining the UK's strengths in innovation.

The Scottish Renewables manifesto 'Clean energy future: time is now' outlines a number of recommendations for the next UK Government, including:

• Modernise the Contracts for Difference scheme to enable the stable deployment of Scotland's renewable energy pipeline.

• Prioritise the delivery of strategic infrastructure for net-zero, including upgrades to our ports and new transmission infrastructure.

• Adopt an evolutionary, not revolutionary approach, to market reform to provide the policy certainty needed to incentivise investment.

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• Deliver clearer coordination for net-zero delivery across the UK to scale-up supply chains, skills and green growth.

New polling by Survation, commissioned by Scottish Renewables, reveals people in the North East of Scotland, the energy capital of Europe, think renewable energy is the most important sector to the region's economic future at a time when energy policy is at the forefront of the General Election campaign.

The polling released today (June 7) asked 'Which of the following sectors do you think is the most important to the economic future of North East Scotland' and found that 38% of people think renewable energy (inc. offshore wind) is most important. Other options included in the survey were oil and gas (34%), agriculture (11%), fishing (7%) and tourism (5%).

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables said: "Whoever forms the next UK Government will have no time to waste if it is to commit to accelerating the deployment of renewable energy and must set out clearly how it will fully unlock the huge social and economic potential of our renewable energy resources.

"Otherwise, we will lose ground in the global race to net-zero that we can never win back.

"Our latest polling shows that voters in the North East of Scotland, the energy capital of Europe for generations, clearly believe that renewable energy is the most important sector to their economic future.

"Now is the time to build upon our successes and enable a multi-decade pipeline which will bolster our energy security, create thousands of high-value jobs, boost the competitiveness of our supply chains and deliver affordable, clean energy for billpayers.

"In the crucial months and years ahead, we must attract the investment, deliver the infrastructure and support the innovation that hold the keys to a prosperous future.

"Scotland's renewable energy industry stands ready to work with whoever forms the next UK Government to deliver the ambitious action outlined in our manifesto which is needed to seize the era-defining opportunities of renewable energy."