Scottish government invests in making Edinburgh’s council buildings greener

Up to £10m of Scottish government investment have been announced to make council buildings in Edinburgh greener.

The funding will see work start on energy efficiency improvements in up to 12 Council buildings, helping Edinburgh with its aim of reaching net zero by 2030.

The buildings will be retrofitted to improve energy efficiency and facilitate the deployment of low or zero carbon heating primary plant.

The project is part of the Scottish government’s Green Growth Accelerator programme, which is a payment-by-results mechanism where the government releases funding based on pre-agreed outcomes, such as carbon emissions reductions and green economy opportunities.

Council leader, Adam McVey, said: ‘We very much welcome the announcement today of support from the Scottish Government to help bring Edinburgh’s public buildings up to high energy efficiency standards. The age, range, and complexity of the Council’s operational estate means the costs of retrofitting large operational buildings to become net zero is significant.

‘This is more than just an investment in the Council’s buildings. It’s an investment in the local supply chain, developing green construction skills and creating jobs. This has been made possible thanks to £500,000 of additional funding we agreed in May to improve the Council estate. It’s a fantastic example of how investing in climate action can bring benefits to the whole city and support a just transition to net zero.’

Deputy Council leader, Cammy Day, added: ‘The Council alone owns more than 600 buildings across Edinburgh, of which around 40% were built within the last 50 years. A further 30% are more than 100 years old. This presents significant challenges when looking to make them more energy efficient and reduce their impact on the environment.

‘Retrofitting buildings across the city, whether private homes or public and commercial office spaces, has the potential to deliver significant savings in the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and help Edinburgh meet its target of net zero by 2030. This investment will provide huge opportunity to invest in net zero action and ensure our young people inherit a thriving, sustainable city which is a cleaner and healthier place to live and work.’

In related news, public leisure centres in Oxford are getting £10.9m investment in decarbonisation, as part of the City Council’s plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Photo by Gabriele Stravinskaite