Carbon emissions from electricity generation must be cut by more than four-fifths by 2030, the First Minister has said.
Alex Salmond has set a target to cut emissions from electricity from 347g of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour (gCO2/KWH) to 50gCO2/KWH within 20 years. He accuses the UK Government of threatening investment in energy by delaying its own decarbonisation target until 2016.
Speaking at the Scottish Renewables-Scottish Enterprise Offshore Wind & Supply Chain Conference in Aberdeen, he also announced developments in the offshore wind sector at four key ports, which could attract £100 million of investment to the Highlands.
"Offshore wind has a strong, vibrant future, with plans to install up to 10 gigawatts of capacity in Scottish waters over the next decade," Mr Salmond said.
"More sites are being scoped for deployment in the 2020s, alongside commercial wave and tidal generation, as grid and interconnection upgrades and storage are further developed.
"However, UK coalition ministers' mixed messages on energy policy and continuing uncertainty around electricity market reform, including the lack of a decarbonisation target until at least 2016, is undermining confidence and threatening investment by the supply chain.
"Having stated our ambition for a largely decarbonised electricity supply by 2030, the Scottish Government is now setting a specific target to guide our overall policy approach and set the context for decisions on applications for electricity generation."
Scottish Renewables chief executive Niall Stuart said: "We know investors view countries that demonstrate a clear vision for how they want to meet their future energy needs favourably. We believe that a new decarbonisation target will be a strong signal to investors across the world that Scotland is a key destination for renewable energy."
Mr Salmond also announced that Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) has signed four joint working agreements with Port of Ardersier, Kishorn Port Ltd, Cromarty Firth Port Authority and Global Energy Nigg.
HIE chief executive Alex Paterson said: "The offshore-wind supply chain is showing strong interest in Scottish ports and harbours, and these official agreements give the market the strongest possible statement that the ports in the Highlands and Islands are open for renewables business."
