Retrofit of Edinburgh’s buildings key to net zero plan

The City of Edinburgh Council has set out a city-wide approach to reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions as part of new plans being to tackle climate change in the Scottish capital.

The Draft 2030 Climate Strategy sets a series of clear and practical steps Edinburgh will take to combat and adapt to climate change and reach its target of net zero emissions by 2030. The Climate Strategy, which follows on from the council declaring a climate emergency in 2019, focuses on creating the right policy, regulatory and infrastructure conditions in the city to support net zero behaviour change.

The draft strategy includes commitments to: establish a powerful Climate Delivery Group of the city’s most influential chief executives to unlock collective action and develop a pipeline of net zero projects across the city; deliver a city-wide heat and energy masterplan by 2022 supported by a new strategic partnership with SP Energy Networks which will maximise the benefit of grid investment for the city and its citizens; bring public sector organisations together to plan and coordinate the retrofit of the cities buildings; run a series of citizen awareness campaigns on sustainability and working with young people to embed a legacy of change from COP26 later this year; and create EV charging hubs for public service vehicles, making them available to residents, where possible, at key times and in key locations.
    
Adam McVey, leader of the council, said: “In the year that Scotland hosts COP26, the world’s eyes will be on Scotland, and on Edinburgh as its capital and we want to ensure this leaves a legacy of action to address the climate emergency. This strategy will help our businesses, public sector and organisations and residents across our communities reduce or remove their carbon footprint.

“Importantly it also lays out how will come together as a city to collaborate on action at the scale and pace we need to get to net zero by 2030. This includes our strategic partnership with SP Energy Networks which will ensure investment in the city’s grid has maximum benefit for our infrastructure plans and for businesses and residents alike.

“It’s only by working together as Team Edinburgh and with partners beyond that we can achieve the green future we need. This strategy aims to create the right conditions to unlock the opportunities that climate action presents, creating jobs and a more sustainable economy while we preserve our amazing Capital City for future generations.”