Delivering net zero for Scotland's buildings - Heat in Buildings Bill: consultation

6. Public Sector Buildings

6.1 There are around 23,000 buildings in public ownership – these include buildings like the Scottish Government’s own estate, as well as local authority offices and many of the amenities that we use.

6.2 If we are asking homeowners, landlords and businesses to invest in this transition, then there is a real case for the public sector to show leadership by taking early and sustained action to decarbonise its estate. This will also help to further develop the supply chain for manufacturers and installers of new heating systems and energy efficiency products.

6.3 This is why we are proposing that the Heat in Buildings Bill should require:

All buildings owned by a Scottish public authority^[30] to be using clean heating systems by the end of 2038.

6.4 This proposal will require the public sector – including the Scottish Government itself – to have completed the transition earlier than others, while also providing long-term certainty which allows our partner organisations time to plan for the changes needed.

6.5 We are also considering whether other powers in the Heat in Buildings Bill can support the public sector to plan for this transition to help ensure that it is conducted in the most efficient way. Specifically, we are considering:

Potential duties on public authorities:

• Placing a new duty on public sector organisations which would prevent them from replacing a polluting heating system with another (unless impractical); and/or
• Creating a new duty for each public body to develop and implement a plan to decarbonise their buildings; and/or
• Placing a new statutory reporting duty on public sector organisations to demonstrate progress towards their 2038 objective (with the potential for the 2038 then to be non- statutory); and/or
• Placing no further statutory requirements on public sector organisations (instead relying on their ability to plan alongside our delivery and funding programmes to meet the 2038 objective).

6.6 These options are not mutually exclusive, and we are seeking views – particularly from public sector organisations – on which options could work best to decarbonise heat in public sector buildings more quickly than the wider building stock.

6.7 As well as these options, we will consult separately on a potential new duty on public sector organisations to connect those buildings which they own to a local heat network, where available.

6.8 The responses to this consultation will inform further discussion with our public sector colleagues as we look to take final decisions in this area in partnership with them.

Questions on Chapter 6 - Public Sector Buildings

Q24. To what extent do you support our proposal to require all buildings owned by a Scottish public authority to be using clean heating systems by 2038?

Strongly support

Somewhat support

Neither support nor oppose

Somewhat oppose

Strongly oppose

Don’t know

Please include any additional comments below.

Q25. We are considering the following further duties on public sector organisations to support planning for the transition by 2038:

a. Placing a new duty on public sector organisations which would, from 2025, prevent them from replacing a polluting heating system with another (unless impractical);

b. Creating a new duty for each public body to develop and implement a plan to decarbonise their buildings;

c. Placing a new statutory reporting duty on public sector organisations to demonstrate progress towards their 2038 objective (with the potential for the 2038 then to be non- statutory); and/or

d. Placing no further statutory requirements on public sector organisations (instead relying on their ability to plan alongside our delivery and funding programmes to meet the 2038 objective).

Please tell us which option(s) you would support.

Please include any additional comments below.