Friday 26 April 2019

EV charging and energy efficiency to be focus of Scottish infrastructure

Electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy efficiency will be a focus of Scotland's future infrastructure plans.

The Scottish Government’s independent experts at the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) have outlined a five-year plan for infrastructure development - they say high-quality infrastructure is key to providing a strong foundation for sustainable economic growth.

The nation has set a National Infrastructure Mission to step up investment in the sector from a baseline of £5.2 billion in 2019-20 to £6.7 billion in 2025-26.

The SFT points out a number of areas of the economy in which it believes this funding should be partially-spent.

It argues low-carbon infrastructure is vital in delivering better insulated buildings, decarbonising heat and providing options to increase EV charging points and encourage the adoption of clean transport.

It also notes upgrades to digital infrastructure are required to deploy 5G technologies and further increase 4G coverage to facilitate the installation and use of smart technologies going forwards.

The SFT says improved maintenance and resilience can benefit users, the environment and free up budget over the medium term to invest back into decarbonisation.

Peter Reekie, CEO of the Scottish Futures Trust, said: "Delivering high quality, well-functioning infrastructure to support and accelerate economic growth will achieve social and environmental benefits right across Scotland.

"Building the economy is our focus, and we will continue to provide innovative investment models to stimulate additional private sector investment and create jobs."