A CONSULTATION has been launched into Scottish Government proposals to revolutionise heating in homes and buildings in order to meet environmental targets.

Announced as part of the Programme for Government in September and supported by £1.6 billion of investment from ministers, the strategy seeks to show how more than one million homes and 50,000 non-residential properties can be transitioned to low-carbon heating systems by 2030, as well as improve insulation and efficiency in other buildings.

According to the strategy, the investment needed is expected to exceed £33bn, a figure which “cannot be borne by the public sector alone”, as the Scottish Government seeks to boost private sector investment in the project. The consultation ends on April 30.

Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions arising from heating our homes and buildings is one of the most important things we can do to help end Scotland’s contribution to climate change, given that heating accounts for more than half the energy we consume as a society.

“We are therefore committed to rapidly scaling-up action on decarbonising heating, but doing so in a way that ensures that our fuel poverty objectives and our commitment to tackling climate change work together, ensuring a fair and just transition to net-zero emissions.”