JOHN Swinney has defended the SNP Government’s decision to scrap plans to make homeowners switch to green heating systems after fierce criticism from environmental charities.
On Wednesday, acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin announced an indefinite delay to the Heat in Buildings Bill – which had been seen as a key piece of legislation to tackle carbon emissions from buildings.
The bill, which dated to the period when the SNP and Greens governed together, set out proposals that would require homeowners to switch from “polluting” heating systems such as gas boilers to more environmentally-friendly alternatives like heat pumps.
A consultation on the legislation began in November 2023, but Martin told Holyrood she is now redrafting the bill so it also helps tackle fuel poverty – and could not say how long that would take.
The news sparked anger from the Greens, charities, and businesses.
Oxfam Scotland advocacy adviser Lewis Ryder-Jones said the “legislation was meant to rapidly accelerate energy efficiency in our homes, so putting it on ice is a huge mistake”.
“Switching to clean heat is a no-brainer: it will cut emissions, make our homes warmer, and create green jobs. Scottish Ministers should be turning up the heat, not freezing progress,” he added.
"Changing the way we heat our homes is non-negotiable: it’s a future we can’t afford to delay. Putting this bill into cold storage only makes it harder to ensure the transition is fair for everyone in Scotland.”
Io Hadjicost, the climate and energy policy manager at WWF Scotland, said the “deeply concerning” announcement is “yet another case of the Scottish Government flip-flopping when it comes to tackling the climate emergency”.
"This is yet another example of the SNP's climate delays, which have grown more and more worrying over the last year,” he added.
And Nicola Mahmood, the head of Scotland for the heat pump firm Aira, said the company would be “seeking urgent clarification on the Government’s statement that continuing with gas will be cheaper”.
“If public money is used to prop up fossil fuels while clean energy alternatives struggle with policy barriers, Scotland will not only fall behind on its climate goals but also lock its citizens into higher long-term costs,” she said.
Asked about the criticism on Wednesday, First Minister Swinney stressed his commitment to tackling climate change.
He said: “Taking effective climate action as part of our journey to net zero is one the four principle policy themes of my Government.
However, the SNP leader went on: “We have got to make sure we have got practical and sustainable assistance in place to make sure we tackle the issue of heating systems and to ensure the approach we take is compatible with the journey to net zero.”
Swinney said ministers will “set out to Parliament in due course the conclusion of the work we are undertaking to tackle the heat in buildings issue”.
The initial legislation proposed banning “polluting heating systems” by 2045.
In addition, people buying a new home before then would have to change their heating system to a greener alternative within a fixed period following the purchase.
The bill had been due to be introduced to Holyrood in November 2024, but Martin told MSPs she will only now bring it forward when she is “satisfied those interventions in it will decrease fuel poverty at the same time as decarbonising houses”.
She insisted: “I am going to craft a bill that is going to simultaneously reduce carbon and tackle fuel poverty, and until I can do that I am afraid there will not be a bill put forward.”
