AN INDEPENDENT Scotland could provide a “fantastic example” of the kind of radical change needed to save the planet, according to leading environmental campaigner George Monbiot. Speaking ahead of the ­Festival of Politics in Scotland this week, he said even though the 2014 referendum had not resulted in ­independence, one of the great achievements of the Yes campaign had been to show how to create a mass movement in the 21st century with “great panache”.

The National 17th Oct 2021 read more »

Homeowners face energy bill rises of up to £800 while properties fall in value under Scottish government plans to enforce the removal of gas boilers, a report says. Under the Heat in Buildings strategy, which was unveiled last week by the SNP-Green administration, one million homes will be converted to “zero emissions heat” by 2030. A consultation analysis document, published by the Scottish government, found that the risk most identified by respondents centred on fears that the move could force families into fuel poverty. “It was reported that, based on assumptions and solutions currently available, getting to net zero could add between £200 and £800 per year to household energy bills,” the report said.

Times 13th Oct 2021 read more »

Plans to convert more than one million homes and 50,000 non-domestic buildings to zero emissions heating in Scotland by 2030 unveiled. The Scottish Government has set out pland to invest £1.8bn over the next 5 years towards decarbonising heating with a target to convert more than a million homes.

Business Green 11th Oct 2021 read more »

Energy bills could be forced up by another £800 and homes rendered “unsellable” by the Scottish Government’s controversial plan to force home owners to rip out their gas boilers, an official consultation on the scheme has warned. An analysis of responses on the new Heat in Buildings strategy, unveiled by the SNP-Green coalition government last week, cited warnings that moving to “net zero” could add between £200 and £800 per year to utility bills. With the majority of homes reliant on gas, it said that the mass deployment of zero-emissions heating systems “could result in considerable fuel cost increases”, tipping thousands of people into fuel poverty. The analysis highlighted the financial burden on households, and particularly the elderly, of having to pay thousands of pounds to replace their gas boilers with low-emissions systems such as heat pumps. Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, announced last week that more than a million homes must be converted to “zero emissions heat” by 2030 to meet the country’s greenhouse gas targets. All buildings are to be converted to “zero emissions” by 2045 at a total cost of £33 billion. However, Mr Harvie said the Scottish Government would provide an initial contribution of only £1.8 billion. He repeatedly failed to specify how much of the remaining £31 billion would fall on home owners already struggling with rising domestic bills.

Telegraph 11th Oct 2021 read more »

With still no sign of the UK’s Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Scottish Government has unveiled its intention to cut emissions from the built environment by 68% by 2030 through a £1.8bn investment plan to transform the nation’s building stock to net-zero by 2045. The Scottish Government has published its domestic Heat and Buildings Strategy, featuring overarching commitments to eradicating fuel poverty and setting up a Green Heat Finance Taskforce to finance that transition to zero-emissions heat networks for buildings. The plan aims to reduce emissions from the nation’s built environment by at least 68% by 2030, which would set the nation up to reach its domestic net-zero target of 2045, which is five years ahead of the wider UK target. This would see a ban on oil and gas boilers introduced by 2030 and in some areas, five years sooner. However, the Scottish Government believes it cannot fully outline steps to decarbonising its building stock until the UK Government publishes the wider Heat and Buildings Strategy. This policy package initially consisted of two separate Strategies, both originally slated for publication in autumn 2020. Patrick Harvie, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Right said: “Our homes and workplaces account for around a fifth of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions. We can and must make very significant progress towards eliminating these emissions over the next decade and reduce them to zero by 2045. Transforming our homes and workplaces will be immensely challenging, requiring action from all of us, right across society and the economy.

Edie 7th Oct 2021 read more »

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.

Scottish Government 7th Oct 2021 read more »

It’s been announced that Brian Wilson will lead an energy commission. Anas Sarwar said: “I am delighted that Brian Wilson will be bringing his expertise to the table and I am excited to see how this commission can help plan a path to a brighter, greener and more prosperous Scotland.” And what expertise he has. Wilson of course is a devout nuclear enthusiast. In 2013 he decried Scotland’s energy policy as “Salmond’s nuclear fatwa”. In October 2005, he was appointed non-executive director of AMEC Nuclear Holdings Ltd, the nuclear services arm of AMEC plc. The announcement boasted that the firm is the UK’s largest private nuclear services business. Sarwar told the BBC that “I think we should consider potential new (nuclear power) plants”- and certainly with a nuclear lobbyist chairing this is where they’ll end up. But what about the state of the current Scottish nuclear plants? So despite the eye-watering costs; the huge and complex building run-in; the massive issue of nuclear waste disposal and the crumbling infrastructure of the current nuclear plants, it’s a great idea. Except it’s unclear what problem it’s solving. As the journalist Dominic Hinde points out: “This is a little odd in that Scotland already meets almost a hundred per cent of its electricity needs from renewables and is set to surpass this. Most emissions now come from heating, agriculture and transport.”

Bella Caledonia 30th Sept 2021 read more »

The Queen has urged Scotland’s MSPs to tackle climate change and “help create a better, healthier future” in a speech ahead of the Cop26 climate conference. The Queen also reflected on the “deep and abiding affection” and happy memories she and the late Duke of Edinburgh shared of Scotland as she formally opened the new session of the Scottish parliament. Accompanied by the Prince of Wales and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall – known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland – the Queen told MSPs that as the country emerged from the “adverse and uncertain times” of the pandemic, there was an opportunity for “hope and optimism”. She said: “Next month, I will be attending Cop26 events in Glasgow. The eyes of the world will be on the United Kingdom – and Scotland in particular – as leaders come together to address the challenges of climate change.

Guardian 2nd Oct 2021 read more »