The Scottish Government’s decision to ditch green heating pledges will sabotage the confidence of the construction sector in future net-zero initiatives, contractors have warned.
Select, Scotland’s largest construction trade association, said the decision to row back on the legislation was another setback in the nation’s commitment to net zero and warned that it would discourage firms from taking part in future schemes.
“While there is some logic in a delay given the high costs of implementation, yet again the industry has been told to prepare for future workload demands and have trained and upskilled operatives to install these technologies – only to be let down again,” Select managing director Alan Wilson told Construction News.
“I don’t know how many times government can ask the sector to prepare for such work and then do a U-turn, but I suspect many contractors won’t listen the next time they’re asked, and who would blame them?
“From a trade association perspective, it’s not a good look if we continually encourage members to prepare for work opportunities, and then a change of policy means it’s no longer a priority for government.”
Legislation to phase out polluting heating systems had been a key policy priority of the government in Holyrood, which consulted on its Heat in Buildings Bill last year.
But Gillian Martin, cabinet secretary for net zero and energy, told the Scottish Parliament earlier this month that in the light of fuel poverty concerns, the draft bill could no longer be introduced “in its current form”.
She said: “I will introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill when I can be satisfied that the interventions in it will decrease fuel poverty at the same time as they decarbonise houses.”
The bill would have prohibited the use of gas boilers after 2045, with anyone purchasing a home or business premises required to replace their polluting system within a fixed period following completion of the sale.
Kevin Morrissey, technical director of the Building Engineering Services Association, said “the urgent challenges of fuel poverty, energy market instability, and climate change demand prompt action”.
He told CN: “Prolonged uncertainty is hindering investment and job creation in the construction and engineering sectors. We urge the Scottish Government to reintroduce the bill as soon as possible to address these critical issues.”
The Existing Homes Alliance, which represents manufacturers, contractors, installers and advisers, warned that without certainty for businesses, net-zero targets would not be delivered.
“It is now a year since the Heat in Buildings consultation closed, and the delay in introducing these standards and requirements has already deterred suppliers, contractors and installers from scaling up to meet growing demand,” it said in a 26 March letter to first minister John Swinney.
The alliance called on the government to introduce the bill “as a matter of urgency” to provide clarity for homeowners, landlords and supply chains.
Concerns had already been raised about the capacity of the construction sector to meet the targets set out in the draft bill, with the government’s own advisers warning that the 2045 deadline was “unrealistic”.
In its response to the consultation on the bill, the Chartered Institute of Building said the success of any legislation would be undermined by worsening skills shortages in the construction sector.
“At present, Scotland simply does not have the number of qualified people required to install clean heating systems at the pace and scale required to meet these targets,” it said.
Research by the Construction Industry Training Board has found that to meet net-zero targets, 22,500 people across Scotland would need to be trained in energy efficiency by 2028.