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Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee, 09 Jun 2009

09 Jun 2009 · S3 · Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee

Item of business

Climate Change (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Stevenson, Stewart SNP Banff and Buchan Watch on SPTV

I am content to support amendments 222 and 223. Amendment 222 would require the Scottish ministers to publish a plan that included provision for"improving the energy efficiency of living accommodation".The Scottish ministers are happy to support that principle. Amendment 223 would require the energy efficiency action plan to include annual energy efficiency targets and to describe how the targets should be reported on. The approach is in line with our plans, so I am pleased to support it. Of course, the committee must reach its own conclusions on the matter.The convener asked where we would get our energy efficiency targets. In previous debates I have said that we would always want our targets to be driven by expert advice. We would not take a different approach to energy efficiency targets. There is no question of the Government producing figures yet. However, I make clear our commitment to accept amendments 222 and 223.Amendment 252, in the convener's name, would require the energy efficiency action plan to include a broad range of targets for energy efficiency, microgeneration installations and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing domestic and non-domestic buildings. It is probably too early to set meaningful targets for microgeneration and greenhouse gas reduction in buildings. I expect to have the evidence base to set such targets in the future, but currently there is no solid evidential base on which to set targets in primary legislation. That brings me back to my point about the need for expert advice.Three of the targets that are proposed in amendment 252 are significantly more demanding than the approach that was recommended by the expert panel that produced the Sullivan report, "A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland", which recommended that from 2016 all new buildings should be net zero-carbon buildings. Due to building warrant duration, amendment 252 would bring in such a target three years earlier than is envisaged in the Sullivan report.The Sullivan report's recommendations on the interim emissions reduction targets for non-domestic buildings—to deliver CO2 savings of 50 per cent and 75 per cent more than current standards in 2010 and 2013 respectively—would apply not only to new buildings, as Sullivan envisaged, but to the entire existing building stock, if amendment 252 were agreed to. Therefore, I cannot support amendment 252.Amendment 232, to which Iain Smith spoke on behalf of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, would prevent the repeal of section 179 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. We have accepted amendment 222, which would confer on the Scottish ministers a duty to prepare and publish an action plan on"improving the energy efficiency of living accommodation".If amendment 222 is agreed to, section 48 of the bill will also cover the matter that is covered by section 179 of the 2006 act. It would be unnecessary to retain section 179 of the 2006 act if the same duty were to be incorporated into the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill and there could be confusion if we were to have legislated for the same purpose in two acts. Furthermore, the Government would potentially be required to produce two action plans on the same topic, because there would be separate duties to do so in two acts. Therefore, the repeal of section 179 remains necessary and I am unable to support amendment 232.

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Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee, 09 Jun 2009

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