This consultation sought views on the Scottish Government’s proposals to deliver further improvements to the energy efficiency of new buildings and new building work through the energy standards set though building regulations, in line with their wider net zero ambitions.
Our response was broadly supportive of the Scottish Government’s proposal. The level of uplift to the 2015 standard for new dwellings that we would like to see is ‘advanced standard’ (57% emissions reduction) proposed in the consultation document. We recognise that this is an ambitious standard but believe that in the context of the climate emergency it is vital that the revised standards that emerge from this review of regulations result in new homes that are responsible for as few emissions as possible.
Building new homes to the highest possible thermal efficiency standards with low carbon heating is a no regrets approach that can be achieved at minimal extra cost while preventing the need for costly and disruptive retrofit at a later stage.