Enterprise and communities (EqIA)

What is the policy/strategy/function/ trying to achieve/do?    

The Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) sets out the council’s long-term plan for decarbonising heat and improving the energy efficiency of buildings in North Lanarkshire.  There is a statutory duty placed on local authorities to prepare and update an LHEES and accompanying Delivery Plan.  The strategy:

• Sets out how each segment of the building stock needs to change to meet national and local objectives, including achieving zero GHG emissions from buildings, and the removal of poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty;
• Identifies strategic heat decarbonisation zones, and set out the principal measures for reducing buildings emissions within each zone; and
• Prioritises areas for the delivery of measures to meet national and local priorities.

A Delivery Plan accompanies the Strategy and has been developed in partnership with key stakeholders, to provide a strong basis for action for local communities, government, investors, developers and wider stakeholders, pinpointing areas for targeted intervention and early, low-regret measures.  The Strategy and Delivery Plan will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis, with a refreshed strategy required every five years. 

The scope of the strategy is focussed on heat decarbonisation, energy efficiency and fuel poverty.  It does not include wider energy system planning directly, but the LHEES can be used as a building block for this.

The LHEES is primarily driven by Scotland’s statutory targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and fuel poverty:

• Reaching net zero emissions by 2045 with 75% reduction by 2030; and
• By 2040, as far as reasonably possible, no household in Scotland is in fuel poverty.

The LHEES is structured around six key considerations:

The LHEES provides comprehensive analysis of data and evidence for North Lanarkshire’s building stock and sets out the potential heat decarbonisation interventions and energy efficiency measures that could be employed to decarbonise building stock whilst addressing fuel poverty.  As part of this areas have been identified and are set out in the strategy for potential heat network opportunities.

The delivery plan sets out several actions that will be progressed over the next five year by the council and its partners to help decarbonise the building stock and improve energy efficiency.

If this policy is subject to the FSD what does it suggest about the impact or potential impact on socio-economic disadvantage?

The LHEES specifically seeks to tackle fuel poverty through improving energy efficiency measures in homes, for example, upgrading of glazing, wall and loft insultation. The running costs of alternative zero emission heating systems must be considered fully to ensure that fuel poverty is not exacerbated. Overall, the LHEES should reduce fuel poverty through targeted energy efficiency measures which will reduce heat demand.  In doing so, it should impact on socio-economic disadvantage through reducing energy bills potentially, which will reduce material deprivation.  It may have some impact on area deprivation through targeted energy efficiency interventions that take place on an area-based approach.  For example, area-based funding schemes for energy efficiency improvements (Energy Efficiency Scotland: Area Based Schemes). Tenure-based approaches may also have an impact on socio-economic disadvantage, as households on low incomes are over-represented in the social sector.

Give details of the impact it has on groups and individuals

The LHEES will impact on everyone to varying extents given its impacts for householders, tenants, landlords, businesses and statutory organisations.  It is considered that there will be greater impacts for particular groups, including those in fuel poverty, and those at risk of fuel poverty.  This includes older people, disabled people, ethnic minority groups, and households on low incomes (this can be further disaggregated with evidence indicating a greater impact for women given lower income levels in comparison to men, and single parent households). These impacts are potentially positive, given the increased energy efficiency measures as long as cognisance is given to the cost impact associated with the transition to switching to zero carbon emission heating systems. 

Potential impacts are identified in relation to social sector tenants, given the uncertainty of national funding to support the decarbonisation of building stock.

Impact exist in relation to ethnic minority groups in relation to roll out of new technologies and potential language/literacy barriers – expansion must be done in a way that is accessible to all.

What actions/measures will be put in place or are planned to mitigate any adverse impact or promote equality?

The council will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including organisations that work with or represent people/groups with protected characteristics to support the delivery of the LHEES and ensure no adverse/or mitigate against any potential adverse impacts.  The strategy and delivery plan will be monitored and reviewed on an annual basis and as part of that process, steps will be taken to review impact on equality groups.

What is the result/recommendations of the EqIA?

Introduce.