Scotland imposes fines for energy waste in buildings
Scotland is one of the first countries in the world to introduce a climate change bill making it possible to fine businesses and home owners if they do not take action to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.
The recent Scottish climate change bill, passed in June 2009, sets a target for reducing emissions by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 – one of the most ambitious goals worldwide. Nevertheless, according to the Scottish Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevensen, setting targets is not an end in itself; it is the delivery that matters. Therefore, the Scottish Government has also published its Delivery Plan with a vision of how to achieve the targets.
Penalties for businesses and home owners
One of the initiatives in the Delivery Plan is to fine businesses and home owners if they do not improve the efficiency of their buildings. However, rather than enforce such penalties immediately, the government will set out a timetable within 12 months to reveal when the fines will become obligatory.
The Scottish parliament will now fine buildings owners if they do not improve energy efficiency
Implementation of the initiative will mean that energy performance certificates must be published for homes and offices. Where remedial work is required, a fine can be imposed if appropriate steps are not taken to improve the performance of the building. It has not yet been decided how large the fine will be.
Carrot before the stick
The Scottish government also passed a £50 council tax rebate for people who take steps to curb energy consumption in their homes; for instance by installing good insulation. Chas Booth from the Association for Conservation of Energy says that this tax rebate is an extremely important incentive to help people improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
"The way we should go forward is not to bring in draconian measures tomorrow," he said. "These powers are effectively a big stick. We have to have the carrot before we have the stick, but at the end of the day, we have to have both to meet the targets."
Scotland's 42% target for 2020 is one of the toughest in the world, although some countries have more ambitious aims for 2050. By comparison, the UK has set a 2020 aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 34%, Germany by 40% per cent, and the overall EU target agreed is 20% by 2020 or 30% if an ambitious climate agreement is reached at COP15 in Copenhagen.
