Homes and buildings are a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for around 13% of Scotland’s emissions. At the same time, high energy prices put an increasing number of people at risk of living in fuel poverty unless their homes can be made more efficient through retrofitting measures such as improved insulation.
The Scottish Government has a target of transitioning buildings to clean heating systems (such as air source heat pumps) as part of its target of reaching net zero by 2045. Net Zero is the point when emissions entering the atmosphere are balanced by removals out of the atmosphere.
To help achieve this it has made a commitment to introducing a Heat in Buildings Bill before Parliament, and to update the Energy Performance Certificate system. In addition, it has indicated that the draft Climate Change Plan (which is to be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament) will include the development of regulations on a minimum energy efficiency standard in the private rented sector.
The Committee has examined a number of aspects of heat in buildings throughout this Session by hearing evidence from the Scottish Government and a range of stakeholders, and by undertaking fact-finding visits. It will continue this work through scrutinising both the draft Climate Change Plan and the Heat in Buildings Bill when they are laid before Parliament.
Retrofitting refers to the process of upgrading existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency, for example by improving insulation.
Earlier in the session the Committee held sessions with stakeholders on retrofitting as well as a committee debate in the Chamber.
Details of committee meeting on 30 November 2021
Official Report, Chamber debate, 18 January 2022
The Committee has expressed concern about the lack of funding being made available to deliver on retrofitting and the lack of public awareness of what will be required to do so. The Committee is awaiting the second report of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce.
The Committee continued this work in April 2024, by jointly holding an event on net zero and Scotland’s housing with the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and the Scotland’s Futures Forum.
A report is available on the event with information on the presentations and discussions that took place.
Scotland’s Housing and Net Zero Conference report
EPCs provide information about the energy efficiency of a building that allows for comparisons to be made between buildings. They also suggest potential steps the owner could take to improve the energy efficiency of their building.
The Scottish Government laid regulations before Parliament on 10th October 2025 which will introduce an improved EPC system. This is to include a new EPC rating system for domestic buildings which will give clearer information on the fabric energy efficiency of a property, the emissions, efficiency and running costs of its heating system, and the cost of energy to run the home.
On 30 September 2025 the Committee heard evidence from two panels of witnesses about the Scottish Government’s intended changes to the current EPC system. When the EPC regulations are laid before Parliament it will scrutinise those in more detail, including taking evidence from the Scottish Government.
The CCP is a Scottish Government strategy document which outlines how it intends to meet emissions reduction targets across all portfolio areas and sectors of the economy. It must be published and laid before Parliament for consideration, and the Committee intends to scrutinise aspects of the Plan relating to buildings and to local government.
The Climate Act of 2019 has set some new requirements for the next CCP, including that it must set out the costs and benefits of policies, whilst taking into consideration the principles of a Just Transition - that the switch to net zero should reduce not increase social injustice.
This CCP will cover the period 2026-2040, as Scotland looks to be “net zero” in carbon emissions by 2045. In doing so, it will seek to meet reduction targets for this period, based on advice from the independent Climate Change Committee.
On 18th November 2025 the Committee will hold a round-table discussion with a range of organisations to discuss their views on the draft Climate Change Plan.
On 31 March 2025 Members of the Committee visited The Park Ecovillage at Findhorn to see examples of different housing technologies, including the use of heat pumps.
Read the report of the visit (395KB, pdf) posted 14 May 2025