Heat in buildings strategy: strategic environmental assessment

1. The draft Heat in Buildings Strategy (“The draft Strategy”)

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 The draft Strategy sets out actions and proposals for transforming our buildings and the systems that supply their heat, ensuring all buildings reach zero emissions by 2045. It provides an update to the 2018 Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map^[5] and the 2015 Heat Policy Statement^[6], and brings together ambitions on energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation for Scotland into a single framework.

1.1.2 The draft Strategy sets out a new vision as follows:

Our Vision: “By 2045 Our Homes and Buildings are Warmer, Greener and More Efficient”

The vision is underpinned by energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation supporting outcomes as detailed in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – Draft Strategy Outcomes

Outcomes

National Performance Framework

Economy
We have globally competitive, etrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy

Environment
We value, enjoy, protect and enhance our environment

Poverty
We tackle poverty by sharing oppurtunities, wealth and power more equally

Health
We are healthy and active

Fair work and business
We have thriving and innovative businesses, with quality jobs and fair work for everyone

Communities
We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe

Heat in Buildings Startegy

The cost of heating our homes and businesses is affordable and those occupying them have a high comfort level.

We have reduced our demand for heat and poor energy efficiency is no longer a driver of fuel poverty.

The systems we use are smart and resilient and provide us with a relaible source of heat.

We have a secure supply chain with high value, local, sustainable jobs across Scotland and people have been helped to transition to new, secure jobs as part of a just transition.

Our indoor and outdoor spaces are filled with cleaner air.

Our heating systems enable and efficiently use Scotland's renewable energy resources

Electricity and non-electrical fuels are produced from sustainable sources in a way which is consistent with net zero emissions and biodiversity targets

Our heating systems enable the flexible and stable operation of our energy networks

1.1.3 This approach provides a high level framework that draws together existing and emerging Scottish Government policies and proposals relating to energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation. These underpin the high level outcomes identified and include measures to support people, places, our economy, future energy networks, delivery and investment.

1.1.4 In order to meet our interim climate targets and ensure long-term delivery of our net-zero objectives, the Update to the Climate Change Plan^[7] sets out that by 2030 around 50% of homes, or over a million households will need to convert to a zero or low emissions heating system. Reducing emissions from homes will mean converting the vast majority of the 167,000 off-gas homes that currently use high emissions oil, LPG, and solid fuels, as well as at least 1 million homes currently using mains gas, to zero-emissions heating. By 2030, we will also need to convert an estimated 50,000 of Scotland’s non-domestic properties to zero emissions sources of heat. The Climate Change Plan Update was subject to a full Strategic Environmental Assessment^[8]

1.1.5 The consultation draft Strategy sets out the intention, through a finalised Strategy, to set a new heat target, the purpose of which is to help monitor and track progress in delivering the deployment pathway for reducing emissions in buildings, as set out in the Update to the Climate Change Plan. The setting of a heat target will also help drive emissions reductions commensurate with net zero and interim climate change targets.

1.1.6 To support the delivery of the sectoral emissions envelopes set out in the Update to the Climate Change Plan, and given that there is no single technology that will work in all places for all buildings, the draft Strategy proposes a mixed technology or blended pathway as the most effective and credible means of achieving net zero. It highlights that near-term deployment should focus on those measures and technologies that are ready for deployment now (energy efficiency measures, heat pumps and heat networks) and in the short term.

1.1.7 The draft Strategy also recognises that other strategic heat technologies have the potential to play an important role in decarbonising our buildings but are likely only to become available at scale in the longer term, following a period of innovation and demonstration (for example, hydrogen) or will have a more limited role in decarbonising our buildings (for example, bioenergy).

1.1.8 Further, the draft Strategy recognises the role of a regulatory framework for zero emissions buildings. It also recognises the role of lower tier plans and strategies, such as future Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, (LHEES) in supporting the delivery of the draft Strategy’s ambitions.

1.1.9 Where any future policies and proposals are developed, these will themselves be subject to consideration in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act (2005). Further detail on the draft Strategy’s interaction with other plans, programmes and strategies (PPS) is provided in Section 3.