SCOTLAND’S potential as a green energy “powerhouse” is being threatened by a Westminster government which is spending a fraction of its European neighbours, the SNP have said.

The warning comes after figures showed the UK had invested around $33.3 billion in low-carbon measures between April 2020 and 2023 – the lowest of Europe’s top-five economies.

In comparison, Italy had spent $111bn in the same period – more than treble the UK.

Germany’s spending on green initiatives hit $92.7bn over the three years.

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France and Spain, respectively third and fourth in the ranking, still spent significantly more than the UK, at $64.5bn and $51.3bn.

The data, which comes from Greenpeace analysis of figures from the International Energy Agency, also shows that the UK is spending far less per capita than its European neighbours.

The UK spent around $500 per person over the three-year period, while France spent $950, Germany $1115 and Italy $1880.

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The SNP’s energy spokesperson at Westminster, Dave Doogan MP (above), said: “Scotland has the potential to be a European green energy economic powerhouse, but that is being threatened by Westminster’s refusal to invest in renewables.

“We have enormous expertise and infrastructure that is already showing what we can achieve with the proper backing – but that government investment has to come to allow Scotland to realise its unique green growth opportunity.

“Compared to the SNP Scottish Government’s approach that has seen hundreds of millions invested in securing a Just Transition and developing our green economy, the Tories have given up just as Labour have thrown their own £28bn proposals in the bin.”

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Labour had pledged to invest £28bn a year in green energy projects – a policy which experts at the London School of Economics had said would rapidly boost the economy and attract about twice as much incoming investment from the private sector.

However, Starmer’s party has ended its commitment to the flagship green energy policy, instead pledging to spend closer to £4.7bn a year – the same amount as Scotland alone is projected to spend in 2024/25.

Doogan went on: “From the EU to US, countries across the world are piling money into the green goldrush, yet far from even trying to compete, the UK has barely entered the race, and the signals coming from the Westminster parties offer little in the way of hope.

“Energy-rich Scotland has been let down time and time again by Labour and the Tories whose Westminster status quo offers nothing.

"Unlike Sunak and Starmer, the SNP will always stand up for Scotland's values and interests – and by championing the potential that shows we can do better, we'll get the best deal for Scotland and our green economy.”