Council to review carbon emissions of buildings across the city

Edinburgh takes another step towards becoming a net zero city by 2030 with major review of its built environment carbon footprint.

The City of Edinburgh Council has this week announced the appointment of consultancy Turner & Townsend to develop a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) for decarbonising homes, workplaces, and public buildings in Scotland’s Capital.

This work will review the efficiency of buildings owned by the council like schools, libraries and homes. It will also assess a number of other public and private places like hospitals, offices and factories.

Turner & Townsend’s review will in turn inform a comprehensive programme for carbon reduction that is expected to outline key benefits for the environment, energy security and fuel costs in line with Edinburgh’s ambitious target to become a net zero city by 2030.

The resulting plans will be reported and presented for public consultation later this year before being adopted.

Councillor Cammy Day, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, commented:

“Edinburgh has set ambitious targets around becoming a net zero city by 2030 and we continue to lead the way in this field. We know that the energy used to heat our buildings is a major contributor towards emissions, so decarbonising our building stock is a crucial part of achieving this goal.

“This strategy will provide us with a route map for achieving this and I’m looking forward to seeing our partners deliver this for us as we head towards becoming Scotland’s sustainable capital city”.

Hassan Waheed, Sustainability Lead – Scotland, at Turner & Townsend, commented:

“Scotland is leading the way in its guidance for local authorities to drive the decarbonisation of the country’s building stock.  This is a significant challenge but one which will play a critical role in reaching Scotland’s 2045 net zero target.

“Our expertise in decarbonisation schemes across the public sector puts us in a strong position to help the City of Edinburgh Council to face up to this challenge.  We’re pleased to be building on our long-standing relationship with the council to make homes, hospitals and schools more energy efficient – for the benefit of the environment and Edinburgh’s residents.”