In September, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon introduced the ‘Protecting Scotland, Renewing Scotland’ programme which outlined the commitments from the Scottish Government and its green recovery action plan for the years ahead. 

Despite the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the Scottish Government is still committed to achieving its goal of net zero by 2045 and this is the key focus to its new programme. According to the programme, Scotland’s economic recovery will be driven by a green agenda with a proposed £100 million investment in a new Green Jobs Fund alongside a sustained approach for transforming the energy efficiency and heat demand in homes and buildings. 

Key points from the programme include: 

  • Creation of a £100 million Green Jobs Fund investing alongside businesses to support new and increased opportunities for green job creation. 
  • £1.6 billon investment in transforming Scotland’s buildings to ensure emissions from heating are eliminated by 2040 to remove poor efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty. 
  • Refresh of the Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map alongside the updated Climate Change Plan, and draft Heat Policy Statement to set out a clear pathway towards zero emissions from heat in buildings 
  • Development of a new Fuel Poverty Strategy to be published in 2021
  • Launch of a new scoping consultation in autumn 2020 on standards for new buildings requiring them to use renewable or zero emission heating from 2024

I believe Scotland is setting an example for other nations around the world. The government have acknowledged that more needs to be done to reduce the dependency of fossil fuels in Scotland’s buildings. It is excellent to see that the Government is once again focused on tackling the long-term challenges of climate change and is committed to improving the energy performance of buildings. The programme provides an exciting route forward and sets a clear path to achieving the goal of net zero by 2045.

Is a sustainable property sector becoming more important? What do you think?

Adam Al-khateb 06/11/20