The Scottish Government is developing the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland. It is now consulting on the plan and with the intention of publishing this in Spring 2010. (For consultation events at the end of November and early December see below.)
Demand for energy continues to grow. Under current production patterns this will lead to increased carbon emissions and tends to drive higher energy prices. Improving energy efficiency is widely recognised as the easiest and most cost-effective means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The financial benefits of doing so are clear: industry and society can achieve more with less energy; public services are delivered at lower cost; and fuel poverty is reduced.
The Energy Efficiency Action Plan is both a key commitment which the Scottish Government made in its 10 Energy Pledges and is reaffirmed in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act.
Consultation
Also worth seeing
- Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) This partial RIA link to options considered within Chapter 7 of the Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan.
- Energy Study Volume IV This study considers the many factors and key drivers that influence energy use in Scotland today and identifies the opportunities to improve energy use within Scotland. Volume 4 was drafted in 2005 and hence the stakeholder views that informed the report are now out of date. Similarly, Volume 4 uses data on energy demand for 2002 that was published in Volume 1 in early 2006. Since then this Volume has been updated with energy statistics, policies and other data (e.g. population trends, economic data and transport statistics) to provide a more current view where possible. So while some elements of this report are dated, it provides a useful overview of the issues, opportunities and barriers to reducing energy demand and hence CO2 emissions across Scotland 4 main demand sectors.
- Modelling Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Scottish housing. This research report details the specification and development of a new carbon assessment tool for Scottish housing. The tool was used to provide analysis for the consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan.
- Summary of Key Issues