Green Heat Finance Taskforce minutes: July 2022

Attendees and apologies

Attendees

• Patrick Harvie MSP, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenant’s Rights
• Sara Thiam, Scottish Council for Development and Industry (Chair)
• Kirsty Hamilton, Independent 
• Sandy MacDonald, Scottish Financial Enterprise 
• Emma Harvey, Green Finance Institute 
• Eddie McAvinchey, Scottish National Investment Bank 
• Ian Cochran, Edinburgh University Business School/Institute for Climate Economics 
• Helen Melone, Scottish Renewables 
• Rufus Grantham, Bankers Without Boundaries 
• Simon McWhirter, UK Green Building Council Scotland 
• Lewis Shand Smith, Energy Consumers Commission
• Andy Kerr, Climate KIC
• Professor Lori McElroy, Chair of the Scottish Government Short Life Working Group on Energy Efficiency and Zero Direct Emission Heat in Tenements
• Craig Denham, Scottish Government, Heat in Buildings Division
• James Hemphill, Scottish Government, Heat in Buildings Division

Secretariat

• Michelle Rayneard, Scottish Government, Heat in Buildings Division
• Toby Tucker, Scottish Futures Trust, Net Zero Team
• Lorraine King, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome and apologies

The Chair welcomed members to the fourth meeting of the taskforce. No apologies were received. As this was the first physical meeting, all members introduced themselves.

Summary note and actions points from previous meeting, including member notification of any conflicts of interest

All members confirmed they were content with the summary note and action points from the previous meeting. No conflicts of interest were raised. Members were reminded to raise any potential conflicts of interest during the meeting should the need arise.

Secretariat update

The Secretariat initiated a discussion on developing communication plans for disseminating the work of taskforce as work progresses through 2022 and 2023 and highlighted the links to the Scottish Government’s work on developing the public engagement strategy as part of the Heat in Buildings strategy.

Action1: Secretariat to collate feedback and include on agenda for discussion for future meetings

Secretariat summary of owner occupier and private rented sector discussion

The Secretariat summarised discussions to date including on equity release, green lending, servitisation models, property linked finance and PRS rental agreements. Members discussed need for more awareness through brokers of green lending products as well as recognition of challenges in lending to owners of lower EPC properties.

Presentation: Professor Lori McElroy, Chair of the Tenements and Multiple Occupancy/Multiple Use Buildings Working Group

Presentation by Prof. McElroy on tenements and multiple occupancy/multiple use buildings including the challenges and barriers to EPC improvement. Professor McElroy stressed the importance of a fabric first approach and streamlining funding and financing for owners, renters and private landlords so that all can access support simultaneously at the appropriate time.

Members of the taskforce discussed the challenges and barriers brought up in the presentation and mentioned various place based pilots running in the UK and Europe and the work being undertaken in Scotland in this area. The importance of gathering data on this sector as well as how to ensure that all tenures have access to finance options in mixed use properties were highlighted.

Group discussion: financing and delivery for tenements and multiple occupancy/multiple use buildings

Members discussed the need to understand what distribution channels for installations will look like as well as frameworks for contractors. It was agreed that some routes to market would be dependent upon the right type of financing being available.

The use of further pilots to provide learnings in order to support aggregated financing and scale up of delivery was discussed.

Any other business and plan for next meeting

The Secretariat reminded the Taskforce the topic for the next meeting in September is Social Housing.

Chair reminded the taskforce that the September meeting will have a hybrid format with members able to attend in person in Edinburgh or join online. No other business was declared.