Committee
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
The provisions in amendment 251 form part of the member's bill on which I have been working since 2005. At the outset of speaking to the amendments, I record my thanks to the advocate Morag Ross, who helped me to draft them, and to the steering group. I also thank colleagues, some of whom are here and others of whom are elsewhere in the Parliament, for their fantastic support over the past few years.The amendments address a key part of the bill. As the committee knows from its evidence taking over the past few months, our buildings are a crucial part of the solution to tackling climate change and reducing our CO2 emissions. The amendments in the group recognise that. Other countries are ahead of us in making that recognition, but we have a lot of expertise in this field. Scottish community and householder renewables initiative grants have enabled a lot of technology to be tested around the country. However, despite many years of debate and exhortation, we still have no mass application of these technologies in our buildings and they have not yet become mainstream. In essence, what I have put on the table for discussion today is a development of the position of two years ago in Scottish planning policy 6, in which we introduced our version of the Merton rule. SPP 6 requires developers of major developments of more than 500m2 to incorporate planned reductions of CO2 emissions, calculated on the basis of the predicted CO2 emissions, to be provided for through renewable energy generated on site. The aim was to reduce CO2 emissions and to stimulate decentralised energy production and to do the two things together. It could be combined heat and power or ground-source heating in some sort of communal provision, or a specific building-related renewables system, which could be solar or air-source heating in individual units.SPP 6 has been in place for a couple of years and we have had SCHRI grants for several years, but we have not seen the rapid progress that was hoped for at the time. The critical issue is how to move forward. SPP 6 was drafted in such a way that developers can gain the benefit. If they design a low-carbon development, they can produce slightly less renewable energy to power it and heat it. However, some of that initial objective was lost in the translation into the new planning guidelines.Crucially, this is not about tying in the requirement to existing building standards, which move over time—they have to be a given for any new development. This is about putting pressure on developers to achieve the lowest carbon emissions for their site and to meet a proportion of the power that is needed for the development on site in a way that reduces carbon emissions.The amendments can operate whatever the level of building standards that ministers set, so they are not tied to where we are now; ministers can change things. They are also not technology specific; it is left to the judgment of the developer to decide what is most important.Amendment 251 would require ministers to include a report on how the objectives in their energy efficiency plan will be delivered, which ties the provision into their other work. I hope that that enables clarity. It also highlights the leadership of the Scottish Government on the matter. I have not specified the level of emissions that will be required. When we first debated SPP 6, we had a long discussion about whether the level should be 15 or 20 per cent. At the time, our expectation was that we would start at a lower level and move higher. That was the approach that the City of Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council took in setting similar policies. It allows more pressure to be put on every single planning decision that we take.Research into the amendment of development plans since the introduction of SPP 6 shows the incredibly slow uptake. Although some authorities such as Edinburgh and Midlothian are ahead of the game, most councils have not really engaged. There is a bit of uncertainty in terms of expertise. There is also the sheer fact that it takes ages to review development plans.Amendment 271 would amend the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. It would be a step forward in that it would provide clarity for all local authorities and require them to review their development plans rather than simply encourage them to do so. Amendment 272 would require ministers to produce an annual update on the operation of the policy. I have not said that that requirement should be for all time but suggested that it should be for the first four years after the provision comes into force. That ties in well to the Sullivan report's timescale of 2016. I have not included a sunset clause, so the provision would not fall after four years, but ministers would be required to review its effectiveness. The key problem that we have had in the past two years is that, although SPP 6 exists, it has not been widely adopted. From talking to ministers over the past few years, I have the impression that they are committed to it, so I have made my proposals to help to move us forward. The planning profession is aware of the challenge and developers are beginning to engage in addressing emissions. Architects, surveyors and building professionals are all beginning to deliver, as we can see in new developments in Edinburgh. I accept that new build is not the whole story, but it is crucial if we are to get mass installations of low and zero-carbon generating technologies to stimulate the market and increase the amount of decentralised energy that is available. My proposals are not technology specific but would leave the judgment on technology to developers and would help to move us on from where we think we are to a better place. They would also remove the current threshold to ensure that we have a more widespread application of this approach.I move amendment 251.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Patrick Harvie):
Green
Good afternoon and welcome to the 16th meeting this year of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee. I remind members and everyone else th...
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):
SNP
Thank you very much, convener.I am sure that members will appreciate the complicated nature of the bill's provisions on the "relevant body" and the "advisory...
The Convener:
Green
Thank you. Now that that is on the record, we will proceed with our consideration of amendments. Members will be familiar with the process. I repeat what I h...
Section 48—Duty of Scottish Ministers to promote energy efficiency
The Convener:
Green
Amendment 222, in the name of Iain Smith, is grouped with amendments 223, 252 and 232.
Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD):
LD
I am pleased to open day 3 of the committee's stage 2 proceedings. I start by saying that in speaking to most of the amendments in my name this afternoon, I ...
The Convener:
Green
I welcome the amendments from Iain Smith and the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee. The emphasis on energy efficiency in recent years has increased slowl...
Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab):
Lab
The committee is in a wee bit of difficulty, because it argued explicitly in its stage 1 report against targets for sectors and said that "indications" shoul...
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
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 th...
Iain Smith:
LD
I welcome the minister's support of amendments 222 and 223. I also listened with care to his comments on amendment 232, which is, it is fair to say, a backst...
Amendment 222 agreed to.
Amendment 223 moved—Iain Smith—and agreed to.
The Convener:
Green
Amendment 251, in the name of Sarah Boyack, is grouped with amendments 271 and 272.
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab):
Lab
The provisions in amendment 251 form part of the member's bill on which I have been working since 2005. At the outset of speaking to the amendments, I record...
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
I will consider all the amendments in the group, starting with amendment 271. I will then speak to amendment 272, after which I will come to amendment 251. I...
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
If amendment 251 is agreed to, do you intend to lodge an amendment to change some of its terms, although you are happy with its spirit?
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
I do not require that the amendment be passed today to lodge an amendment at stage 3. I am in the committee's hands. However, I make the general comment that...
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
My difficulty is that I was in with the bricks with the Scottish Government's original policy, so I have tried to word all my amendments on the basis of our ...
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
The word that is causing us difficulty is "operational". I wonder whether the member is confident that previous work addressed that issue in a robust legal w...
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
That is useful.My main problem with not pressing the matter is that we have not made the progress on planning aspects in the past two years that ministers we...
The Convener:
Green
The question is, that amendment 251 be agreed to. Are members agreed?
Members:
No.
The Convener:
Green
There will be a division.
ForGordon, Charlie (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)McNulty, Des (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)Peattie, Cathy (Falkirk East) (Lab)Ag...
The Convener:
Green
The result of the division is: For 4, Against 4, Abstentions 0. Because, as I indicated earlier, the casting vote is for the status quo, which is the bill as...
Amendment 251 disagreed to.
Amendment 252 not moved.
The Convener:
Green
Amendment 154, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 155, 155A, 156, 254, 239, 240, 161 and 270.
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
Amendments 154, 155, 156 and 161 seek to strengthen the bill by introducing a new obligation to produce and update an action plan on renewable heat. At aroun...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
Amendment 155A, in my name, seeks to increase the clarity of the renewable heat action plan and the scrutiny to which it is subject. The percentage of heat t...