- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its renewable heat strategy.
Answer
A report by the Renewable Heat Group of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) was presented to Scottish Government and made available on our website on 5 February 2008. The report makes a number of recommendations on how to develop a renewable heat market in Scotland. We will consider its recommendations carefully in developing an action plan for renewable heat, which we expect to issue later this year.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a renewable heat strategy, as referred to in paragraph 1.31 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomed a report, published on 5 February, from the Renewable Heat Group of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland. Ministers will consider its recommendations carefully in developing an action plan for renewable heat, which we expect to issue later this year.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the commitment to invest in microgeneration and investigate which of the buildings on its own estate are most suitable, as referred to in paragraph 7.9 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer
During 2007, the Scottish Government carried out work, in partnership with the Carbon Trust, to establish the feasibility of installing microgeneration at selected buildings on the core estate. Initial surveys have been completed for Saughton House in Edinburgh, Cameron House in Oban and Strathearn House in Perth which have highlighted a number of opportunities to be investigated further. Further surveys were also undertaken at Victoria Quay in Edinburgh, Longman House in Inverness and Meridian Court in Glasgow to explore opportunities for incorporating microgeneration as part of ongoing maintenance projects.
In 2008 the Scottish Government will participate in the Carbon Management Programme through which the Carbon Trust provides technical and management support and guidance to formalise an action plan aimed at delivering carbon emission reductions. The plan will focus on the built environment including where microgeneration can be introduced to reduce the carbon emissions relative to our building operations.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth will make a statement about progress with regard to the effectiveness of the Central Energy Efficiency Fund, in particular its extension to the further and higher education sector, as referred to in paragraph 7.7 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer
The Central Energy Efficiency Fund continues to be an effective way of delivering financial savings and carbon emission reductions across the public sector. Over 900 discrete projects have been implemented to date by Scottish local authorities, the NHS and Scottish Water, a 50% increase in the last 18 months.
Officials are currently finalising arrangements with stakeholders to set up the £4 million energy efficiency fund for Scotland''s universities and colleges which will be operational before the end of the current financial year.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the review of energy efficiency and microgeneration support, as referred to in paragraph 3.18 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer
The independent Review of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Support was commissioned in April 2007 and completed in December. We are aiming to publish the report before the end of March 2008.
We are already considering the results and recommendations of the review and these have helped and are helping to inform action for improving, simplifying and streamlining delivery whilst ensuring that support is effectively targeted.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive why its new waste targets only include waste collected by local authorities.
Answer
The parliamentary statement on waste policy in January announced the Scottish Government's intention to review the National Waste Plan. The statement also indicated that as part of this review the government would consult on new targets to reduce the amount of commercial waste that goes to landfill.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek to develop a carbon assessment tool that will be capable of operation across central and local government in the United Kingdom or whether it will use a separate methodology for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is developing a tool to assess the carbon impact of all government spending in Scotland. This tool will be based on the guidance recently issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on how to value greenhouse gas emissions in government appraisals using the Shadow Price of Carbon. Further information on the Defra guidance is available at:
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/research/carboncost/index.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations are providing advice to the Scottish Government on the development of the carbon assessment tool referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 23 January 2008 (Official Report, c. 5290).
Answer
Work on the development of a carbon impact assessment tool is at an early stage. We are in discussion with the Sustainable Development Commission and considering what other organisations can assist us in this work.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 60% efficiency targets for waste-to-energy plants, referred to in the ministerial statement on 24 January 2008, will be enforced from day one of the operation of the plants or whether the targets relate to the theoretical ability of such plants to achieve high efficiency levels.
Answer
The government''s intention is that energy from waste plants should have efficiency levels of at least 60%. However, the government recognises that in some cases developments such as planned housing or factories to take the heat generated by the energy from waste plants may not be in place when any plants start to operate. In these cases, the government would expect the operators of the plants to have clear plans in place to use the heat once other developments are in place. The operators would, of course, be expected to develop facilities capable of utilising waste heat at the outset.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, as referred to in paragraph 7.25 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer
The proposed content of the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan is with the cross-sectoral Public Procurement Policy Forum for comments. Their views are being considered at present.
