Heat in buildings strategy: business and regulatory impact assessment

5. Consultation

5.1 Strategic Heat Decarbonisation Policy Board

Development of the Heat in Buildings Strategy was supported by a Heat Decarbonisation Policy Board, comprising Scottish Government Officials from the following Directorates:

• Directorate for Energy and Climate Change
• Directorate for Housing and Social Justice (Better Homes Division);
• Directorate for Chief Economic Advisor (Officer for the Chief Economic Advisor - Economic Analyses);
• Directorate for Local Government and Communities (Buildings Standards, Planning and Architecture)
• Directorate for Economic Development (Enterprise and Innovation)

The policy board also included representatives from the following government agencies and partners:

• Highlands and Islands Enterprise,
• Scottish Enterprise
• Scottish Futures Trust.

5.2 External Advisory Group

The Strategy has also been supported by an External Advisory Group. Drawing on a breadth of stakeholder knowledge and expertise, research, project and case study lessons, the Group have advised on the key issues and potential options for decarbonisation of heating in Scotland. The following organisations were represented on the External Advisory Group:

• Association for Decentralised Energy
• Changeworks
• Citizens Advice Scotland
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Energy Saving Trust
• Energy UK
• Existing Homes Alliance
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)
• The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC)
• Ofgem
• Oftec
• Scottish Futures Trust (SFT)
• Scottish Gas Networks
• Scottish and Northern Irish Plumbing Employers Federation (SNIPEF)
• Scottish Power Energy Networks
• Scottish Renewables
• Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE)
• Strathclyde University
• WWF Scotland

5.3 Public Consultation

A public consultation on the Strategy was launched on 5 February 2021 and closed on 30 April 2021. To support this consultation, we held a series of engagement events (on a virtual platform) with key stakeholders. This included specific engagement with business, communities, individuals, network operators, local authorities and the supply chain sector.

The consultation received 178 responses from a broad range of respondent types, including but not limited to community groups, energy suppliers and distributors, professional bodies across various sectors and product manufacturers, suppliers and installers. The submissions received were very diverse, with variation based on focus, structure and length, along with the number of questions answered. 142 respondents opted to have their submissions published online on the Scottish Government consultation hub.^[18]

The consultation analysis was conducted by independent consultants and has been published alongside the final Strategy.^[19] The results informed the final Heat in Buildings Strategy – for example the increased funding commitment to at least £1.8 billion, and increasing the clarity and pace within our proposed regulatory framework. More broadly, the consultation responses and the detail and examples they present, will continue to inform further specific policy development, including the next steps set out in section 2.2 above.