Scotland is moving to upskill its future workforce as it recently set some of the toughest emissions targets in the world.

Almost 13,000 students are studying courses related to renewable energy at Scotland’s universities and colleges, a survey revealed.

More than a third (36%) of the 12,885 students are female, new research by industry body Scottish Renewables has shown.

Thirty-one institutions responded to a Freedom of Information request for the data used in the survey, which is said to be the first of its kind.

Claire Mack (pictured), chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said: “We already know that the Scottish renewable sector supports an estimated 17,700 jobs, so it’s exciting to see the scale of the workforce of the future, and the enormous range of courses being studied that relate in some way to Scotland’s renewable energy future.”

The figures have been released as part of the Scottish Renewable Energy Festival, which ran until 1 October and aimed to reflect on Scotland’s renewables achievements to date, and on the sector’s future ambitions.

The Festival claimed it showcased the businesses “making change happen”, while also providing an opportunity for Scotland’s politicians and media “to highlight the hard work our industry does every day”.

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Scotland sets lofty emissions target