Edward Mountain supported by SNP over fossil fuel boilers
In Parliament today, Edward Mountain MSP for Highlands and Islands, asked the First Minister whether policy requiring households to replace their fossil fuel boilers by 2025 is still going ahead.
Although the UK Government has pushed back the boiler ban to 2035, it is currently still up for debate on whether Scottish policy will follow suit.
The First Minister provided no clarity in his answer to the question.
Edward made it clear that in order for the Government to achieve their net zero targets, it is vital that the public be taken along with them.
It is clear that Edward Mountain has garnered support from many of the SNP MSPs on the issue.
Fergus Ewing was quick to support this call, stating that the heat pump targets have had the effect of pushing up the cost of house building, meaning that fewer homes are being built in Scotland.
Given the current housing shortage, it is vital that the Government revisit and provide clarity over the policy.
Edward Mountain’s follow-up statement:
“We need to address heating in houses, not just in the form of boilers but also in insulation. Forcing the use of heat pumps and ineffective insulation is not the way to do it. We need real targets that have the support of householders.”
Transcript:
Edward Mountain: To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government’s policy to require households to replace their fossil fuel boilers with heat pumps or other green energy systems in off gas properties by 2025 and in on gas areas from 2030 is still going ahead.
First Minister: Our 2021 heating building strategy committed to introducing legislation to phase out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers. We will consult very shortly on detailed proposals for a heating buildings bill to ask everyone across Scotland to help us design and deliver this in the best way possible. That consultation will provide more detail on when and how those changes will take effect. Moving to clean heating systems will tackle climate change, reduce the exposure of homes and businesses to volatile fossil fuels prices, but our 2021 strategy also set out the need for the UK Government to take urgent action, that includes rebalancing gas and electricity prices and making sure that energy companies themselves are playing their part in delivering this vital transition. Let me be clear Presiding Officer, we simply cannot meet our legal targets in tackling climate change if we do not end our use of gas boilers.
Edward Mountain: I thank the First Minister for that attempted answer, I’m not sure I’m any clearer whether those targets will be met. It appears we will have to wait, but First Minister I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it’s absolutely vital that we do reach NetZero, and in order to do so we need to take the public with us. Does the First Minister therefore acknowledge, like some of his SNP MSPs do that the unrealistic and poorly thought-out policies set by Green party colleagues in Government such as this one and the DRS scheme are causing more damage in reaching net zero than they are in achieving i.
First Minister: Presiding Officer, we get to the crux of the Conservatives issue and problem here, in the very face of a climate crisis, that in the summer engulfed parts of our planet in flames has flooded many other parts of our planet in the recent weeks and months at home and abroad. We have a Conservative party that tell us they’re not climate sceptics, they’re not climate change deniers, but oppose every single measure this Government bring forward to tackle climate change. So, every time they bring forward a sensible proposal that’s necessary to meet our targets, we all voted for those targets, they’re opposed by the Conservatives. The Conservatives have to decide what side they are on. Are they on the side of trying to protect and save this planet or are they on the side of climate deniers and climate sceptics. They have chosen to make climate change shameful, a culture war election issue. Tories aren’t just bad for Scotland, bad for the UK, but it seems they’re bad for our planet.