Ramping up delivery of renewable heating systems, driving a
widespread improvement in the energy performance of buildings and
investment of at least £1.8 billion are at the heart of a new
plan for tackling one of Scotland’s biggest contributors to
greenhouse gas emissions.
The Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out the pathway for cutting
greenhouse gas emissions from our homes and buildings – which
currently account for about a fifth of Scotland’s emissions - by
more than two thirds by 2030.
It will require over a million homes and the equivalent of 50,000
non-domestic buildings to convert to zero emissions heat by 2030.
Ahead of the Strategy’s launch, Zero Carbon Buildings Minister
visited the NG Homes project
in Springburn, Glasgow, where Scottish Government funding of £9
million has supported the installation of a communal zero
emissions heating system. The project, which spans across six
high rise social housing tower blocks, is expected save more than
650 households up to 60% in energy bills.
Mr Harvie said:
“The ambition set out in our Heat in Buildings Strategy is
significant, and rightly so on the eve of COP26 coming to
Glasgow. Urgent action is needed if we are to stand a chance of
limiting warming to under 1.5 degrees.
“As we take these bold steps to reduce emissions from our homes
and buildings, we must do so in a way that leaves no-one behind.
This Strategy sets out the guiding principles that will ensure
our actions to decarbonise heat do not have a detrimental impact
on rates of fuel poverty and instead serve to tackle social
inequalities.
“This is a huge transition, affecting communities, businesses and
households all across Scotland and we must work collaboratively –
across public and private sectors, across parliament, and across
governments, to deliver it.
“Our Strategy also makes it clear that, to deliver the
transformational change required, the UK Government must take
urgent action in reserved areas to support the just transition to
decarbonised heating. Our Strategy commits to phasing out the
need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers, and to
consult on introducing new legislation and regulations to
underpin this transition and ambitious investment programme, but
equivalent action from the UK Government in reserved areas, such
as on energy pricing, will be essential to deliver these
commitments.
“It is essential that homes and buildings achieve a good standard
of energy efficiency and by 2033 we want to see all homes meeting
at least an EPC band C standard where feasible and cost
effective. This will help ensure energy costs in future are
affordable and that our actions continue to remove poor energy
efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty.”
Background
The Heat in Buildings
Strategy can be viewed on the Scottish Government
website.
A new Green Heat Finance Task Force will be established to
identify innovative solutions to maximise private sector
investment, and to find new ways to help individuals and
organisations spread the upfront cost of investing in making
their properties warmer, greener and more energy efficient.
It has been estimated that the transition to zero emissions heat
could support around 16,400 jobs across the economy in 2030.
To maintain progress towards our statutory emission reduction
targets, this must scale up to provide a total of at least
124,000 systems installed between 2021 and 2026. The installation
rate will need to peak at over 200,000 new systems per annum in
the late-2020s
