A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland (The Sullivan Report)
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson, MSP, appointed a panel to advise on the development of a low carbon building standards strategy to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Scottish Ministers were looking to the panel to recommend challenging but realistic targets for both domestic and non-domestic buildings, with a move towards the rigorous energy performance levels imposed in Scandinavia.
The panel was chaired by Lynne Sullivan, the Sustainability Director of Broadway Malyan Architects. The membership included the heads of the building regulatory systems from Norway, Austria and Denmark, together with designers, developers, contractors, regulators, researchers and energy specialists, some of whom are currently members of the Building Standards Advisory Committee.
The panel has made 56 recommendations for the Scottish Government, the majority of which are within the remit of the Scottish Building Standards Agency. The Scottish Government will have to consider the cost implications of the panel’s recommendations, which include:
- staged increases in energy standards in 2010 and 2013 to substantially reduce carbon emissions from new buildings;
- the aim of net zero carbon emissions for space heating, hot water, lighting and ventilation within the next 10 years, if practical;
- the ambition of total-life zero carbon buildings by 2030; and
- consideration of zero fees for building warrant applications where new buildings are to be significantly above the current energy standards.
A copy of the Sullivan Report is available here.
