Energy Efficiency Needs to be Accelerated in Draft Budget – WWF Scotland

Following news that the Scottish Government is planning to cut funding for climate change action by almost 10%, three cross-party committees of the Scottish Parliament have questioned its plans for improving the energy efficiency of Scotland’s homes. 

As MSPs prepare to debate the Draft Budget tomorrow (Wed 3^rd Feb), as it stands it is set to reduce overall spending on fuel poverty/energy efficiency in 2016/17 by 13%, compared to the total that the Scottish Government plans to spend during the current financial year.

WWF Scotland maintains increasing funding for energy efficiency programmes is one of the clearest ways to better embed climate change in this Budget, whilst also helping to tackle fuel poverty and create jobs. The Scottish Government has previously committed to ‘embedding’ climate change in this Budget process.

On the publication of reports by the Holyrood committees, Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland said “If the Scottish Government’s to live up to its promise of embedding climate change in this budget, it will need to seriously re-think it’s planned cuts.  These Holyrood Committee reports point the way by demonstrating  investment in energy efficiency is an important way of cutting climate emissions, creating jobs and helping tackle fuel poverty.”