Following the hottest year on record, BBC Alba sets out to explore Scotland’s net zero commitment in practice with a new two-part series, Alba Uaine (Green Scotland).

Last year was logged as the hottest year on record, according to climate scientists, so what does climate change mean for Scotland and what progress is being made towards being net zero by 2045?

In this two-part BBC ALBA series, Mairi Rodgers discovers the practical steps individuals, communities and businesses across Scotland are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In the first episode, airing on Monday (8 July) at 9pm, Mairi follows the Harper family in Inverness as they take steps to reduce their own carbon footprint. She visits islanders in Orkney who are working towards energy self-sufficiency, finds ways families can reduce their energy costs, and visits businesses in different industries that are at the cutting edge of the renewable energy revolution.

Mairi Rodgers looks at the steps individuals, communities and businesses across Scotland are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Mairi meets David Rodger, a specialist in renewable energy at Aberdeen Science Centre to talk about the potential benefits for Scotland. He says: “It’s really positive that Scotland is leading the way on new energies, on renewables, on creating world class infrastructure… We can take those learnings overseas, to other projects, to other countries, and we can be part of that collaborative effort that’s needed to deliver the energy transition.”

From visiting a recycling plant and looking at transport and housing, to discovering the impact coastal erosion is having on communities in the Western Isles, Alba Uaine (Green Scotland) shines a light on those making strides towards net zero, posing the questions: ‘Are the goals of 2045 achievable – and will that be enough?’

David continues: “It is an ambitious target, but it is very much achievable and part of that is because of the wonderful natural resources that Scotland has. Also, the strength of our people, the engineering skills that we have. We’ve got a really strong track record on energy and for us to be able to point to this future, to engineer this future, is something that’s very achievable – but not without its challenges.”

The first episode of Alba Uaine (Green Scotland) premieres on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer on Monday 8 July at 9pm (in Gaelic with English subtitles). Watch live or on demand: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0021011. The second episode will air on Monday 15 July.

Scotland’s path to net zero explored in new BBC Alba series

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