SCOTLAND SCRAPS HEAT IN BUILDING BILL

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin told MSPs that the proposed ‘Heat in Buildings Bill’ will not go ahead in its current form. Originally drafted by the Scottish Greens under the Bute House Agreement, the legislation aimed to reduce emissions by mandating the replacement of gas boilers - which account for around 18.5% of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions - with alternatives such as electric heat pumps within a set timeframe after a property sale.

However, Ms Martin said the draft bill risked making people poorer and did not sufficiently address the issue of fuel poverty. 

“I’m going to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill when I can be satisfied that the measures will reduce both carbon emissions and fuel poverty,” she said, describing the current version as too narrow in focus and noting the complexity of the issue.

She added: “Until that balance is achieved, the bill will not move forward in its current form.”

This comes after the Scottish government announced last April that it would abandon its annual and interim emissions targets, replacing them with a system of measuring progress every five years instead.