Perth and Kinross Council is seeking input on the development of the first Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and accompanying 5-year Delivery Plan (2024-2029).

A public consultation has been launched on the "vision, priorities, and key strategic actions" for the LHEES.

Following consultation with partners and stakeholders, the council has developed a draft LHEES vision with priorities for action. Before the final strategy is developed, we want to make sure that local people, communities and stakeholders have their say on whether these priorities will make a positive difference to meeting their needs.

Councillor Richard Watters, Convener of the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, said: "The LHEES will cover the period 2024-2045, with an accompanying delivery plan focusing on 2024-2029. It sets out our vision for heat transition and energy efficiency in Perth and Kinross as well as the outcomes that we want to achieve for local people.

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"This piece of work by the Council will have an impact of the residents of Perth and Kinross and so I would encourage everyone who has the time to take a few minutes and share their thoughts on the proposals with us so that we can move forward with an approach that will achieve the very best outcomes for everyone."

Following this consultation, we will draft our LHEES strategy, incorporating responses, for formal approval by Perth & Kinross Council in November 2023.

The Perth and Kinross LHEES is driven by Scotland's overarching statutory targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and fuel poverty:

• Net zero emissions by 2045 and a 75% reduction in emissions by 2030

• No household should be in fuel poverty by 2040

A LHEES should havea two-part structure of a Strategy and Delivery Plan. Perth and Kinross LHEES Strategy will:

• set out how each segment of the building stock needs to change to meet national and local objectives, including achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector, and the removal of poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty;

• identify strategic heat decarbonisation zones, and set out the principal measures for reducing buildings emissions within each zone; and prioritise areas for delivery, against national and local priorities

The Local Heat and Energy Efficieny Strategy Consultation is open until October 29 2023.