Climate change is an acute threat to all humanity and all biodiversity. Unchecked it would also transform Scotland's landscape. Rapid action is needed to deliver at least 3% emissions cuts every year in countries like Scotland.

The electricity sector has a key role to play, through the deployment of renewable generation and through support for demand reduction.

As a result, the need for swift action to strengthen and smarten the Scottish electricity grid is pressing. To further new renewable generating capacity in the right places, and to meet Scotland's aspiration of virtually decarbonising electricity production by 2030, we will need both new transmission capacity and better management of the grid.

The Beauly - Denny proposal

Friends of the Earth Scotland welcomed the announcement of a public inquiry into the Beauly - Denny proposal, because we believed it needed a rigorous examination of its place in the strategic development of the Scottish electricity system, and of any alternatives.

During the inquiry, the UK government re-constituted the Electricity Networks Strategy Group (ENSG) with a mandate to "Develop and promote a 'vision' of the UK electricity networks that will effectively and efficiently facilitate the increase in renewable and other low-carbon generation necessary to meet the EU 2020 renewables target and longer-term energy and climate change goals."

The ENSG report clearly demonstrated that the Beauly - Denny line would be an essential part of meeting UK targets, and achieving decarbonisation in Scotland.

The report, and the evidence put to the inquiry, also demonstrated that it is not a question of the Beauly - Denny line or an alternative such as an undersea cable, but that multiple connections will be needed.

We therefore welcome the Scottish Government's decision to permit construction of the line.

No damaging developments

However, Friends of the Earth Scotland does not support renewables developments that damage nationally or internationally designated habitats or landscapes. Nor would we support transmission infrastructure, which irreversibly damaged such locations.

We welcome the conditions imposed on the consent to reduce the overall visual impact of associated cables feeding into and out of the main line. We note that, however, undergrounding major transmission lines typically causes much greater and prolonged environmental damage than pylon lines.

We are convinced that outside of designated areas, the damage to landscape interests from renewables such as wind farms, or pylon lines, is much less than would result from climate change. It is more reversible than the impacts of greenhouse gases, which last for centuries, or of nuclear waste, which lasts for millennia. We would clearly not support a nuclear alternative.

Rural benefits

Friends of the Earth Scotland believes that the people of Scotland's more remote and rural communities should be able to share in the economic and employment benefits of renewables development. We therefore particularly support renewables developments that are led by or fully involve local communities, and create wealth within the community rather than for distant shareholders.

For renewables to provide the majority of our electricity needs and displace unsustainable generation, it is critical that we not only strengthen the grid, but make it smarter. As set out in the Power of Scotland Renewed report, improvements such as enhanced electricity storage facilities, and the roll-out of smart meters and appliances are also needed to reduce the peaks of demand on the grid and to help consumers save energy and cut their bills.

Beauly Denny FAQ from Scottish and Southern Energy