CLOSING THE GAP
The scale of the task in reaching and sustaining the Scottish Government’s net zero goals should not be under-estimated.
A recent report from the Construction Industry Training Board suggested around 22,500 new jobs will need to be created by 2028. It is a tight timeline but a big opportunity as the sector seeks to close the gap in capability and expertise when it comes to design, specification, operation and construction of low-carbon, circular-economy solutions. Demand and competition for new green skills and enhanced innovation will be acute.
Residential property accounts for around 20 per cent of Scotland’s total emissions, a concrete indicator of the size of the challenge that lies ahead as initial retrofit activity gains momentum, driving transformation of the housing stock to make it more suitable for the net zero age.
We know that 83 per cent of urban properties run on gas and 65 per cent of rural properties are o-grid. The diverse nature of these properties rules out a one-size fits all approach but that is not to say the whole approach to decarbonisation should not be integrated and coordinated across all organisations involved, from those working in the construction sector now and in the future, to the occupiers and homeowners who need to be convinced to embrace the chance to move away from reliance on fossil fuels and do things dierently.
Emissions targets and deadlines have been set for private landlords, homeowners, and social housing providers beneath the over-arching legal obligations that emerged from last year’s COP26 in Glasgow: a 75 per cent reduction in 1990-level emissions by 2030 leading on to net zero by 2045.
Working together and collaboration between all organisations within the sector will be crucial when trying to meet these net zero targets. There will be a great strain on the supply chain when it comes to material requirements and operations and the supply chain should be well prepared to keep up with the inescapable demand that will only grow stronger as the target dates move closer.
Backed up by significant estimated investment of £10bn or £12bn over its lifetime, the programme’s long-term ambition for improving the energy eciency of Scotland’s buildings presents lucrative and widespread economic opportunities. It is therefore crucial that local suppliers, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMES) and micro-sized businesses, are able to participate to ensure that genuine benefits are realised in communities the length and breadth of Scotland, addressing any potential localised skills and capacity gaps that may be identified.
The cost of retrofit is an obvious stumbling block to the ambition to have all, or as many as possible, properties made ‘airtight’ but that is just a beginning. New build housing developments are relatively simple to change, measure and monitor under the programme: retrofit properties are another matter altogether. To ensure a successful and fair transition, we need to support and encourage the development of a range of low-carbon products, materials, systems and components, which will ultimately make deep-retrofit solutions more aordable, accessible and environmentally friendly. A nationwide roll-out of solutions, including measurement criteria such as Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) ratings, is another challenge to be overcome.
Finally, pro-active communication and engagement are essential to persuade people of the need to change their longheld habits and adopt alternatives to fossil fuel heating systems, a priority in terms of decarbonisation. Resident engagement will be key in ensuring a just transition to net zero. Costs and methods will also vary depending on available materials, properties and location. Consequences we are not fully aware of are currently being broached by The Housing Safety and Wellbeing Taskforce which brings together stakeholders in a single platform to help collaborate, inform and share best practice. The Taskforce has a brief to consider how best to address the human aspect in all this as we seek to eect sustained change and reach the goal of a net zero society.
www.aico.co.uk