The Scottish Government has announced that improving the energy efficiency of buildings in Scotland will be designated a national infrastructure priority.
Now the UK Green Building Council, together with a coalition of 19 other organisations, has been calling on the UK Government to make energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority and support it with long-term investment through the Homes Fit for the Future campaign.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Climate Change Minister Aileen McLeod revealed that Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme will be made an infrastructure priority in an effort to improve the energy efficiency ratings of both homes and non domestic buildings over the next 20 years.
Scotland will also examine how supplier obligations on energy efficiency and fuel poverty can be designed for Scottish circumstances and to leverage private sector investment using new devolved powers in the Scotland Bill.
Dr McLeod said: “The Scottish Government has already increased investment in domestic energy efficiency – from £99m last year to £119m this year. And since 2009 we have allocated over half a billion pounds on fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes.
“But we must do more to meet Scotland’s world-leading and ambitious climate change targets. That is why I am announcing that improving the energy efficiency of Scotland’s buildings will be designated a national infrastructure priority.”
The UKGBC is one of 80 UK companies and business groups to sign a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to act on climate change.
The letter, which appears in today’s Financial Times, warns that a failure to tackle climate change could put the economy at risk, while decisive action could create jobs and boost competitiveness.
The businesses urge the Government to:
- Seek a strong global climate deal in Paris in December which limits temperature rises to below 2 degrees Celsius
- Set an ambitious 5th carbon Budget to drive further reductions in UK emissions
- Establish a long-term framework for investment in the low carbon economy.
The letter, co-ordinated by WWF-UK, is also signed by a number of UK-GBC members: AkzoNobel, Arup, Association for the Conservation of Energy, British Land, Bouygues, Buro Happold, E.ON, Keepmoat, Interface, John Lewis Partnership, Kingfisher, Knauf Insulation, Marks and Spencer, Mitsubishi Electric, Rockwool, Saint-Gobain, Willmott Dixon and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff.
