Chamber and committees

The scenarios were developed to understand the potential workforce requirements in Scotland to meet projected clean heat and energy efficiency targets. These were indicative forecast scenarios and are not expectations/projections of future demand and for this reason are not currently tracked.

This proposal is contained within the current public consultation Delivering net zero for Scotland's buildings - Heat in Buildings Bill: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . A draft business and regulatory impact assessment has been published to support this consultation Heat in Buildings Bill consultation: business and regulatory impact assessment (partial) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

This draft impact assessment and a range of other relevant impact assessments will be developed and then finalised based on the outcome of the consultation. Further development of proposals will then occur and will be the subject of detailed final impact assessments.

The scope of the research was commissioned to understand current and future workforce capabilities required to meet projected installation targets only. This was in line with the targets initially set out within the Heat in Buildings Strategy.

Colleges and universities are responsible for setting their own provision based on regional and national demand, however Energy Skills Partnership, the college sector agency in Scotland for energy transition, zero carbon transport, engineering, construction and STEM, lead a low carbon heat training network across Scotland’s colleges to share best practice.

The Heat Networks (Scotland) Act, 2021 requires a review report to be laid before parliament 24 months after the publication of the Heat Networks Delivery Plan. The Delivery Plan was published on 31 March 2022 and the review report is due by 31 March 2024. The review report will provide an update on the development of district heating networks across Scotland.

Information on heat networks projects that have or are receiving support from the Scottish Government can be found in the Heat Network Quarterly Report, which provides summaries of the projects funded through Scotland’s Heat Network Fund, Scotland’s Heat in Buildings Development Funding Invitation and the Heat Network Support Unit. Support for heat networks has also been provided through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, with its quarterly report providing an updated construction status for its funded projects. These reports can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/heat-network-project-reports/ and https://www.gov.scot/collections/low-carbon-infrastructure-transition-programme-reports/ respectively.

Our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan sets out practical steps that we will take to support the growth of the green heat sector. We continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure that the appropriate support and training provision are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.

Information on public sector support available to businesses in Scotland can be found on FindBusinessSupport.gov.scot.

The First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones (2022) found that up to 340,000 homes may be located in areas suitable for heat networks in future. This included over 11,000 homes in rural areas, and more information can be found in the First National Assessment here: First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones (www.gov.scot)

Local authorities finalising their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), which will identify heat network opportunities across Scotland.

The information requested is not available. The Scottish Government does not currently plan to directly procure any specific low-carbon heating or energy efficiency projects on behalf of the sector over the time periods specified. Scottish public authorities can access funding and project development support for clean heating and energy efficiency proposals through our Non-Domestic Public Sector Energy Efficiency Framework and Project Support Unit. This framework is designed to provide value for money and a standardised approach for public bodies undertaking improvements to their estate.

This proposal is contained within the current public consultation Delivering net zero for Scotland's buildings - Heat in Buildings Bill: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . A draft business and regulatory impact assessment has been published to support this consultation Heat in Buildings Bill consultation: business and regulatory impact assessment (partial) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

This draft impact assessment and a range of other relevant impact assessments will be developed and then finalised based on the outcome of the consultation. Further development of proposals will then occur and will be the subject of detailed final impact assessments.