CLIMATE change campaigners have accused Scottish ministers of “weakening” legislation aimed at making heating more environmentally friendly.
The Scottish Government confirmed it will bring forward a Heat in Buildings Bill this year – which they hope will gain Royal assent before next May’s Holyrood elections.
But acting climate change minister Alasdair Allan confirmed the proposals are being “revised”, prompting criticism from environmental groups – with a warning that the new legislation risks being “toothless”.
Action is needed on the issue as heating buildings accounts for almost a fifth (19%) of Scotland’s overall emissions – with MSPs having already passed legislation committing the country to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.
Proposals drawn up while the Scottish Greens were still in the government would have required property owners to switch from “polluting” heating systems such as gas boilers to more environmentally-friendly alternatives like heat pumps.
The new bill will set the target of decarbonising heating by 2045, with Allan insisting this sends a “strong signal to homeowners, landlords and other building owners on the need to prepare for change”.
However, he accepted the upfront costs customers have to pay for “clean heating systems remain higher than those for fossil fuel systems”.
And Allan (below) said ministers had listened to concerns that the original plans risked “burdening every individual householder with an overly onerous responsibility” as the country seeks to move away from fossil fuels.
He told MSPs at Holyrood that the new approach “moves away from penalising individuals and instead commits to collective action”.
Allan added: “Instead of placing prohibitions on every homeowner, we will establish targets for Government to reach.”
But Io Hadjicosta, the climate and energy policy manager at WWF Scotland, said the legislation “risks being a toothless Bill”.
The campaigner added: “The reality has been yet more targets without meaningful measures to provide certainty to industry or to reduce emissions from Scotland’s home heating systems.”
Lewis Ryder-Jones, of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Instead of setting yet more distant targets, the Scottish Government must urgently deliver a clear roadmap, backed by a comprehensive system of grants funded through fair taxes.
“This must ensure upfront costs aren’t a barrier and fully fund upgrades for those on low incomes. ”
He added: “Weakening Scotland’s clean heat plans risks leaving people to struggle with sky-high bills and cold, draughty homes while pouring cold water on the transition to a greener Scotland that works for everyone.”
With the Scottish Government having previously abandoned its target of cutting emissions by 75% by 2030, Green MSP Patrick Harvie – who was involved in the original version of the legislation – said that it was being “gutted”.
He warned the Government’s new approach was “very clearly going to fail”, with the Scottish Green co-leader adding: “If there is one thing that we have learned about climate policy in recent years, it is that setting targets without decisive action to meet them is meaningless.”
He also claimed not including a “property purchase trigger” – which would have required people buying a home to commit to changing the heating system to a greener alternative within a fixed time period – would mean a “dramatically slower uptake of clean heating in Scotland”.
Labour also raised concerns, with Paul O’Kane highlighting how the Scottish Government had abandoned its target of cutting emissions by 75% by 2030.
O’Kane stated: “Given the Government has failed to deliver on their climate change targets, and literally broke their own legislation on it, how can the people and industries of Scotland have faith that they will deliver and meet heat in building targets?”
Conservative housing spokesperson Meghan Gallacher said that the “rehashed Bill still provides no clarity on the costs to the public”.
She said: “Rather than continually setting net-zero targets that they fail to meet, the SNP must finally outline a fair and affordable transition for hard-pressed, over-taxed Scots.”
