The Scottish Government has faced criticism for delaying the Heat in Buildings Bill, a key piece of legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions from buildings by transitioning away from gas boilers to greener alternatives like heat pumps. Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin announced that she is redrafting the bill to ensure it addresses both decarbonisation and fuel poverty simultaneously.
Ms. Martin stated: “I will introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill when I can ensure that the measures it encompasses will simultaneously reduce fuel poverty while decarbonising homes.” She emphasised that the current draft did not adequately address these issues, saying: “I am going to craft a bill that is going to simultaneously reduce carbon and tackle fuel poverty, and until I can do that I am afraid there will not be a Bill put forward.”
Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens and the bill’s original architect, condemned the delay, stating: “This is yet another example of the SNP’s climate delays, which have grown more and more worrying over the last year. It will also delay the huge benefit households need to see from ending their reliance on fossil fuels and their volatile prices.”
Environmental groups have also expressed disappointment. Io Hadjicosta, climate and energy policy manager at WWF Scotland, described the move as “yet another case of the Scottish Government flip-flopping when it comes to tackling the climate emergency”. She added: “Reducing emissions from Scotland’s housing stock by improving insulation and fitting renewable heat pumps would lift people out of fuel poverty – not increase it.”
First Minister John Swinney has defended the government’s commitment to net zero. He commented: “Taking effective climate action as part of our journey to net zero is one of the four principle policy themes of my Government.”
