Ministers go back on green pledge

Published Date: 28 February 2009

By Jenny Haworth, Environment Correspondent

EMISSIONS targets for new buildings have been watered down by the Scottish Government because of the financial pressures of the economic crisis.
Experts had advised Holyrood to bring in new standards for non-domestic buildings that would require carbon emissions to be slashed by 50 per cent from 2010.However, it was announced yesterday that greenhouse gas emission would only have to be cut by 30 per cent.Green groups criticised the decision. However, the Scottish Government said pressures on developers had to be considered because of the economic crisis.Stewart Stevenson, climate change minister, said: "The Sullivan report recommended a 50 per cent reduction in carbon for non-domestic buildings in 2010 and I recognise there will be a cost associated with these improvements. "In light of the economic situation, I have taken the view that a 30 per cent reduction is an appropriate level that strikes the right balance as we look to ensure our long-term climate change targets are met."He claimed Scottish buildings would still be among the most carbon efficient in Europe.An average office building built to 2010 standards would emit 31 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, compared with 105 tonnes when built to 1990 standards.He added that jobs would be created because of increased demand for small scale renewables, and money would be saved on fuel bills.However, Chas Booth from the Association for the Conservation of Energy, said: "It is very disappointing that the government have watered down their carbon emission standards for new buildings against the advice of their own experts. "To claim that we have the best energy standards in the UK, as the Scottish Government does, is like claiming to have the best bobsleigh team in the Caribbean: there's not much competition. "Scotland lags 30 years behind Sweden and we need more ambition than this if we're to catch up."Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said although any improvement in energy efficiency standards was positive, he was also concerned."We felt Sullivan wasn't being adequately ambitious and for the Scottish Government to fall short even of Sullivan's advice puts their quest to achieve zero carbon new buildings by 2016 in serious jeopardy," he said.He warned the creation of jobs in sectors such as home green energy devices and insulation would be hampered.He added that existing buildings need to be brought up to high energy efficiency standards.New homes will also have to produce 30 per cent fewer emissions from 2010, in line with the Sullivan report.David Stewart, policy and strategy manager at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, questioned how the improvements would be funded."If more energy efficient buildings are to be created, then the government needs to accept that grant levels must be sufficient for housing associations to deliver." There will be a consultation this summer on implementing the standards.