2020 Sub-groups

Chaired by Ian Marchant

Group members are: John Sheridan, Scottish Construction Forum; Stephen Baxter, Standard Life; David Melhuish, Scottish Property Federation; Jonathan Fair, Homes for Scotland; Dave Gorman, SEPA; Martin Valenti, 2020 Group/SEPA; Dr Bernadette McKell, AECOM; Wendy Pringle, SSE; Richard Ackroyd, Scottish Water; Rachel Gwyon, Scottish Government; Chas Booth, ACE; Satty Singh, MS Namana Group; Ken Ross, Ken Ross Developments; Fergus McConnell, Taylor Wimpey group.

Remit:

• Consider targets, planning rules and policy measures to ensure that CO₂ emissions from new buildings reach zero as soon as possible.
• Look at the policy, fiscal and legal framework surrounding the energy efficiency of Scotland’s existing buildings – both domestic and commercial.
• Examine the contribution public sector non domestic buildings can make to CO₂ targets and identify the steps that would need to be taken to ensure fast and effective delivery of improvements across the country.
• Consider the actions that need to be taken to create an environment where a market for renewable heat can thrive.

Overall the Group will consider in detail the delivery steps that must be taken to bring about a significant improvement in the energy efficiency of the existing privately built environment to ensure significant energy demand reduction by 2020. This will include the consideration and an assessment of:

• Existing targets
• Delivery mechanisms
• The delivery of national leadership
• Identifying key milestones

Built Environment Priority Issues

Priority action 1 - Recommend that the Scottish Government commission a heat map of Scotland to identify resources geographically and pave the way for a National Heat Strategy and recommend that the delivery plan target for renewable heat is increased to 15%.

Priority action 2 - Set a definitive framework for calculating embodied carbon in building methods and materials

Priority action 3 - Devise a plan to reduce the costs associated with the retrofit supply chain and in particular the cost of solid wall insulation.

Priority action 4 - Undertake an analysis of the energy efficiency of commercial building stock in Scotland and work with key commercial landlords to help bring about the systematic improvement of commercial stock.

Priority action 5 - Encourage the Scottish Government to create a national data bank for EPC certificates making the information publicly available. Create a short life industry group to improve the EPC system in Scotland and ensure greater consistency across the UK.

Priority action 6 - Maximise the benefits of water efficiency in both the domestic and commercial context and investigate opportunities to pursue greywater and non-potable water use in the urban and domestic environment. Look to better understanding the role of decentralised water and wastewater services in a carbon and climate challenged era.

Other actions:

• Examine climate change and sustainability issues for new and existing housing stock, for property owners, estates managers, and housing associations and provide advice to the Scottish Government and other appropriate bodies.
• Privately rented housing stock is the least efficient housing stock in Scotland. A plan for the systematic improvement of the stock should be put in place, focussing specifically on improving standards for HMOs. HMO legislation may provide an appropriate place to ensure that statutory energy efficiency standards are developed over time.
• Undertake a comprehensive cost benefit analysis of increasing demolition rates of extremely energy inefficient properties. Assess the merits and impacts of a housing scrappage scheme and carry out a review the life-cycle of different building stock to establish the point at which it is more carbon effective to demolish refurb or maintain existing property.
• Moving beyond voluntary measures for bringing about the improvement in energy efficiency in existing buildings, draft a set of proposals for mandated action for householders in the longer term.
• Provide advice to the Scottish Government and others to ensure Scotland is at the forefront of the national roll out of smart metering in the UK and ensure that Scottish householders are best placed to benefit from the new technology.
• Identify and help create the conditions whereby energy companies and volume house builders to have a long-term stake in the communities they develop.
• Financing the improvement of existing housing stock in order to cut Co2 emissions by 42% by 2020 will require investment from householders, public bodies and from private funds. The 2020 Group will propose new financing models to help deliver a number of pathfinder projects. Links in to Finance sub-group
• Organise a major conference to discuss with stakeholders whether enforcement of current and expected regulations will be effective in driving required changes, with adequate provision of industry skills, and sufficient regulatory capacity.
• Commission a review of learning from Europe and rest of world on developing CHP, District heating at local scale, with particular emphasis on public sector capacity and role as catalyst.
• Carry our research to gain a better understanding climate change and society’s risk tolerance/willingness to pay to protect essential services.
• Consider how to future-proof plans/actions for low-carbon built environment and ensure creative thinking, possibly via use of scenarios day or other recognised futures techniques.

Chaired by Ian McKay and Terri Vogt

Group members include: Brian Soutar, Sam Greer, Rebecca Trengrove, Dr Bernadette McKell, Martin Valenti, Tom Reid, Tony McElroy, Steven Baxter, Donald Carmichael and Dave Densley.

Remit:

• To provide fresh thinking and new ideas on increasing the use of public transport. Gordon Dewar to lead on this work
• Speed limits and implications for the environment and economy – Ian McKay will lead on this work
• Consider the issues of existing integrated transport strategies and infrastructure and if required provide fresh ideas for improvement. – Dr Bernadette McKell and Dave Densley will lead on this work
• Position for biofuels and alternative fuels – Brian Souter to lead on this work with support from Tom
• Consider Freight issues- Steven Baxter to lead on this work with support from a major retailer
• High speed rail feasibility and issues - Possible remit areas for future meetings
• Consider the issues of Aviation and Shipping and decide who should be involved.

Chaired by Susan Rice

Members: Prof Jan Bebbington (St Andrews University) Paul Brewer (PwC), Gillian Butchart (LBG), Alan Caldwell (Community Regeneration), Jamie Hume (Scottish Govt), Julie McDowell (Standard Life Investments), Mike Robinson (Royal Scottish Geographical Society), Lynne Ross (SSE) and Martin Valenti (SEPA).

Mission: Finance is key to enabling us to unlock Scotland’s ambitions for a low carbon economy and more sustainable future. The Finance Group will help prompt the best environment possible for innovative financial schemes to support the delivery of a 42% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020.

Remit:

Stream 1 – the current position

1. Commission baseline research of current finance options and their effectiveness (uptake, accessibility, impact)
   
   Community Funding Sources, Low Carbon Investment, NAO Report - Renewables Funding, Community Funding Models
2. Look at the progress made by the Climate Challenge Fund and consider its future role – watching brief only
3. Examine issues / barriers to financing climate change in Scotland

Stream 2 – Options for change

1. Based on the research, identify gaps and weaknesses in present finance provision / mechanisms and propose solutions
2. Consider an assessment of economic benefits of environmental and clean technologies
   

Stream 3 – prompting debate and gaining consensus

1. How can we best align finance provision to Scotland’s carbon ambitions – how do we attract more investors / create aspiration and activity?
2. Are there new finance models or incentive schemes which could be developed to expedite carbon reduction programmes?
3. What does the economy needs to kick start more green technologies?
4. How can finance be best targeted to create the biggest impact?
   
   PwC SLCIC slides, PwC SLCIC Thought Piece

Additional Resources:

The Finance Sub Group has established two ‘delivery partners’ focused on investment and the supply chain. Both are key drivers of the move towards a low carbon economy and are instrumental in progressing the wider finance agenda. The Scottish Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change is led by Standard Life Investments and draws its membership from the Scottish investor community. The Supply Chain Group is led by PA Consulting and its membership comprises supply chain firms, utilities and developers.

Also see information about the Supply Chain Group.

Co-chaired by Calum MacDonald and Michael Tracey

Other group members include: Colin Paterson, Ian Mitchell, Kenny Boag, Stephen Pathirana, Robbie Weir and Martin Valenti.

Remit:

• Increasing awareness, particularly with business and investors, of the role of waste as a resource and as a significant contributor towards meeting Climate Change targets. Work with the Finance sub-group to increase understanding amongst financial bodies and investors and to consider alternative investment models for financing initiatives and new technologies. Develop protocols to share good practice and promote joint working initiatives. Work in association with the engagement sub-group to ensure greater clarity of communication and develop consistent messages.
• Addressing the Economics and Finance around waste infrastructure including, Energy from Waste.
• Addressing the issues of Food Waste and consider the implications of a ban on the general disposal of food waste to landfill.
• Assisting the Scottish Government with the development of a Carbon Metric to better demonstrate the embodied cost of Carbon when considering for example recycling initiatives. Help the Scottish Government with data issues.
  
• Making connections between waste as a resource and other policy areas such as Energy and Transport.
• Address the issues of Site waste management planning and consider ways to increase uptake of good practice especially for small to medium scale site operators. Work with the Built Environment sub-group on this issue.

Chaired by Gordon Grant

Group members include: Lynne Ross, Grahame Smith, Lin Bunten, Colin Imrie, Diane Duncan and Ewan Mearns.

Remit:

• Looking at issues of transition from carbon to low carbon technologies and what this could mean for businesses, employment and education.
• Carry out a critical review of the consequences of moving from a hydrocarbon fuelled based society to one of renewables.
• Looking at the opportunities that will arise from new technologies and how educational and professional organisations will facilitate this.
• Investigate what work is already being done on skills gaps.
• Look at what changes will be required for infrastructure and how such potentially huge changes should be funded – liaise with funding group on this issue.

Also see Creative and Interactive industries.

Co-chaired by James Withers and Stuart Goodall

Group members include: Graham Hutcheon, Lynne Ross, Mark Aitken and David Barnes.

Remit:

• Promote ways of accelerating integration between farming and forestry.
• Communication programme with land managers to rapidly increase take-up of measures to improve input efficiency and protection of high carbon soils.  
• Engage in the debate around climate impact of food production - should feed into public engagement sub-group
• Stimulate greater integrated food/drink supply chain initiatives (bringing together primary producer, food processor and retailer). 
• Act as a sounding board for government and other policy proposals as relevant. For example, make recommendations on early action to bolster the climate change delivery plan in land use and forestry areas, comment on the Scottish government’s ‘plans and policies’ document, etc.
• Examine ways of improving delivery of the government’s afforestation targets
• Feed in to Scottish Government land use strategy which addresses competing priorities for rural land (renewables, food production, woodland, flood prevention).

Co-chaired by Jane Wood and Louise Macdonald

The group is presently splitting in two to allow a more detailed focus on the public/consumer agenda and the business agenda. The composition of membership will be updated shortly.

Remit:

Objective: To positively influence the Scottish Government’s public engagement strategy on climate change.

1. Review existing communications activity already undertaken on climate change; assess cost, effectiveness and reach.
2. Pull together best practice awareness campaigns (public or private sector) that have generated behaviour change and create pillars of success for future campaigns.
3. Assess consumer behaviour on climate issues by demographic to identify propensity to change behaviour and likely target audience.
4. Identify which media or communication methods are most suited to message and target consumers.
5. Provide a draft framework for future campaigns, based on the above analysis.
6. Act in a review and advisory capacity for future campaigns prior to launch.

Objective: To develop a clear framework for businesses to access information and assistance to reduce climate impact.

1. Create an organisation map identifying all agencies and bodies involved in climate change. Identify:
• a. The core purpose of each organisation, audience and reach.
• b. What activity they currently undertake.
• c. How they are funded / what funding is available.
2. Research current understanding, knowledge and likelihood of behaviour change in a cross section of Scottish businesses.
3. Develop a “how to” guide to help business reduce climate impact and access support and funding from relevant organisations.
• a. Include best practice from existing businesses, with focus on SMEs
• b. Identify best practice for engaging employees or members in positive action.
4. Identify and recommend the best methods to reach businesses with this information.
5. Actively champion the use of the guide amongst Scottish businesses.