Scotland is facing a ‘monumental task’ on eco housing, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights Patrick Harvie has warned
Scotland is facing a ‘monumental task’ on eco housing, Patrick Harvie warned on Monday (8 August) at the first ever Green Home Festival as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Scottish Greens co-leader and Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights was the keynote speaker at the launch of the five-day renewables jamboree, which has been organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV).
The event was part of off a week-long series of events delivering practical assistance and advice to help Scotland become a net zero nation.
Scotland needs to overhaul its aged housing stock and combat fuel poverty
Speaking to representatives at the Scottish headquarters of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Mr Harvie outlined the scale of the challenge and some of the measures the Scottish Government was taking to try and tackle today’s environmental issues.
Mr Harvie observed that: “Our homes and workplaces account for around a fifth of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Our statutory target for 2030 means that we need to reduce emissions from heating buildings by 68% below their level in 2020.
“This is a monumental but essential task. Our building stock is relatively old, and wasn’t always built to high energy standards.”
“By 2030, we want to see a large majority of homes achieving a level of energy efficiency at least equivalent to an EPC C – with all homes meeting that standard by 2033, where feasible and cost effective. This will reduce emissions from our buildings, but it will also help make our energy more affordable, by removing poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty.”
Mr Harvie argues that private sector investment must play a role in switching Scotland to zero direct emissions heating
The MSP for the Glasgow region said: “Meeting our 2030 target means that we need over a million homes and the equivalent of 50,000 non-domestic buildings to switch from fossil fuels. This is a huge transition, affecting communities, businesses and homes across Scotland.
“Getting there will need a much faster installation rate for these zero direct emissions heating systems. In recent years that rate has been around 3,000 homes annually, but we need to reach around 200,000 each year in the latter part of this decade.”
Mr Harvie also said that the cost-of-living crisis and unprecedented surges in energy prices make the challenge even harder and the government can’t foot the bill on its own.
He said: “Our funding will make a huge difference to the heat transition. But the cost of transforming our building stock – around £33 billion to 2045 – can’t be met by government alone.
“Our Green Heat Finance Task Force is now working on innovative solutions to maximise private sector investment, and to find new ways to help spread the upfront cost of making properties warmer, greener and more energy efficient.”
Other events at the festival include advisory presentations for householders on energy efficient technology and eco housing
The Green Home Festival will deliver 12 in-person and virtual presentations on a range of topics such as:
- Protecting from flood risk
- Using sustainable materials
- Demystifying heat pumps
- Retrofitting tenements
- Building sustainable neighbourhoods
- An introduction to electric vehicles (EVs).
One online session, Taking the Swedish View, will see a presentation by award-winning Swedish construction company, Botkyrkabyggen, who use solar panels, windmills, artificial intelligence and district heating to improve energy efficiency.
In another event, Living Safely in the Future, experts from Electrical Safety First will outline what householders can do to ensure their homes are protected properly when installing the innovation and technology that is already becoming a part of everyday life.
Full details, including how to book tickets for each event, are available on the Festival’s website at greenhomefestival.co.uk.
