Offshore Renewable Energy in Scotland: The Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) Programme

Summary

Welcome to this Member Network event hosted jointly by the Scotland Member Network and Marine & Coastal Special Interest Group.

Description

Decarbonising our global society, while protecting the environment, is the biggest challenge of our lifetime. Alexander Gilliland from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) Programme takes us through the latest research into the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of offshore renewable energy on the marine environment.

The challenge we face in tackling both the climate and biodiversity is the greatest of our generation. The Scottish Government is committed to NetZero by 2045 and in the new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045, the Scottish Government has an ambition to be Nature Positive by 2030.

The ScotMER Programme is a Scottish Government initiative that brings together experts from industry, academia, public bodies and environmental charities to identify key evidence needs on the environmental impact of offshore renewables. The programme then undertakes new research to answer these evidence gaps, to help inform licensing, consenting and planning decisions concerning offshore renewable developments in Scotland, supporting both Strategic Environmental Assessment and project level Environmental Impact Assessments.

Alexander began his career studying at the University of Edinburgh and holds both an MSc in Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health and a BSc (Hons) in Biological Science (Ecology). He has worked for the Scottish Government for the last six years. Initially he supported a range of international INTERREG projects researching; marine spatial planning, underwater noise, marine protected area management, and oceanography. Over the last three years he has worked across the ecosystem on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of offshore renewables with the ScotMER programme, leading the team as Interim Marine Planning Evidence Lead over the last nine months.

Knowledge Level

Suitable for all

Prior Knowledge

No, delegates will already have background knowledge as ecologists and environmental managers

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