The Climate Emergency and Planning: Have we got the balance right?

Sponsored by SSE Renewables and GreenPower There’s a climate emergency. The UK and Scottish targets are really bold, with the expansion of onshore wind expected to be a major part of the heavy lifting over the next ten years. Government advice is a likely trebling of current onshore wind capacity. To make projects work on a viable basis, however, from modest community projects to large utility-scale projects, we need a supportive planning system, which includes accommodating the most efficient modern larger turbines. Previous polls at industry seminars for onshore wind highlight planning policy at the top of the list of challenges. The questions for this webinar are: Is Scotland dealing with planning policy radically enough to match the urgency of the climate emergency? With overwhelming public support for wind farms, where does the balance lie between visual effects on people and landscapes and the fact that climate change poses the greatest threat to those very same people and landscapes? Chair: George Baxter, Director of Development, GreenPower (International) Ltd Speakers ● Heather Donald, Head of Project Consents, SSE Renewables ● Jennifer Ballantyne, Partner, Pinsent Masons and Board Member of Scottish Renewables ● Jennifer Skrynka, Managing Director, ASH design + assessment Ltd ● Coll McCail, Young Advisor For Children in Scotland (joining for Q&A panel) ● Robbie Kernahan, Director of Sustainable Growth, NatureScot (joining for Q&A panel) Panel discussion and audience Q&A