The industry body calls for the target – which compares to the current level of 15% – in a manifesto launched ahead of the 5 May Scottish Parliament elections.

Scotland – whose devolved government has widespread policy-making powers – has already set a goal of producing the equivalent of 100% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020.

Scottish Renewables said by bringing "the bigger reality" of heat and transport into the equation – which between them account for 75% Scotland's energy consumption – the 2030 target would require a threefold increase in green energy generation, but pointed out that current data suggests Scotland is on track to be more than half way to that point by the end of this decade

Niall Stuart,...