John Swinney gives his verdict after SNP government's green heating plans delayed

John Swinney has insisted his government is “absolutely committed” to tackling climate change, rejecting claims from environmental campaigners that ministers are “flip-flopping” in their support for the issue.

Green energy supporters hit out at the Scottish Government after acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin announced a delay to a key piece of legislation to tackle carbon emissions from buildings.

The proposed Heat in Buildings Bill had been developed during the time the Scottish Greens were part of the government, and it set out proposals that would require homeowners to switch from “polluting” heating systems such as gas boilers to more environmentally-friendly alternatives like heat pumps.

Plans that would require homeowners to switch heating systems from gas boilers to alternatives such as heat pumps have proved contentious | Getty Images

A consultation on the legislation began in November 2023, but Ms Martin told Holyrood she is now redrafting the Bill so it also helps tackle fuel poverty.

She said she could not say when it will be introduced – leading to an angry response from environmental groups.

Io Hadjicost, the climate and energy policy manager at WWF Scotland, said the “deeply concerning” announcement is “yet another case of the Scottish Government flip-flopping when it comes to tackling the climate emergency”.

Lewis Ryder-Jones of Oxfam Scotland also raised concerns, saying: “This legislation was meant to rapidly accelerate energy efficiency in our homes, so putting it on ice is a huge mistake.

“Changing the way we heat our homes is non-negotiable: it’s a future we can’t afford to delay. Putting this Bill into cold storage only makes it harder to ensure the transition is fair for everyone in Scotland.”

Supporters of the Bill say action is needed as heating buildings is the third largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland.

First Minister John Swinney speaks to the media during a visit to officially open Phoenix Future's Rae House residential rehabilitation centre in Alford, Aberdeenshire, on Wednesday | PA

Asked about the delay on Wednesday, First Minister Mr Swinney stressed his commitment to tackling climate change, and said: “Taking effective climate action as part of our journey to net zero is one the four principle policy themes of my Government.”

But he added: “We have got to make sure we have got practical and sustainable assistance in place to make sure we tackle the issue of heating systems and to ensure the approach we take is compatible with the journey to net zero.”

He said ministers will “set out to Parliament in due course the conclusion of the work we are undertaking to tackle the heat in buildings issue”.

His comments came after Ms Martin told MSPs the updated Bill will put a greater emphasis on tackling fuel poverty.

The initial legislation, drawn up by Green co-leader Patrick Harvie when his party was part of a powersharing deal with the SNP, proposed banning “polluting heating systems” by 2045.

In addition, people buying a new home before then would have to change their heating system to a greener alternative within a fixed period following the purchase.

The Bill had been due to be introduced to Holyrood in November 2024, but Ms Martin told MSPs she will only now bring it forward when she is “satisfied those interventions in it will decrease fuel poverty at the same time as decarbonising houses”.

She insisted: “I am going to craft a Bill that is going to simultaneously reduce carbon and tackle fuel poverty, and until I can do that I am afraid there will not be a Bill put forward.”

Mr Harvie insisted the legislation is “essential if Scotland is going to cut carbon emissions and cut people’s energy bills”.

He said: “Already, switching to a heat pump can save up to half a household’s heating bills, but people need support to make the switch and the clean heat industry needs clarity from Government.

“That clarity has been completely absent in the year since the Government consulted, and during the unexplained four-month delay to getting the Bill introduced.”

Claiming the SNP has now “basically said to everyone interested in this issue ‘don’t expect much and don’t expect it soon'”, Mr Harvie added this stance “flies in the face of the climate ambitions that this Government is supposed to have”.

He added: “This is yet another example of the SNP’s climate delays, which have grown more and more worrying over the last year.”

However, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said the Bill was “fundamentally flawed”, with vice president Doug Smith adding it “demonstrated an incomplete understanding of the Scottish property market”.

Mr Smith said: “While many households will welcome this move, what is less well understood is that the draft Bill covered more than just houses, it also captured every business property in Scotland – factories, offices, warehouses, shops, surgeries, cinemas, garages… the list goes on.

“Had it been introduced in its draft form, investors, owners and occupiers (and even lenders) could have had great difficulty in delivering its requirements and in some cases would have potentially found it legally or physically impossible to do so. ”

Mr Smith said the delay was “disappointing from an environmental perspective and for the continuing lack of clarity for households and businesses” but stated: “It is vital we get this important legislation right, and we applaud Gillian Martin, the acting Net-Zero Secretary, for taking this action now.”