Councillors on the Cabinet Committee met on Thursday to approve Fife’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and Delivery Plan, which aims to create a brighter, more sustainable future for our communities.

All local authorities have a statutory duty to prepare and publish a LHEES by December 31, 2023, driven by Scottish Government targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 and ensure - as far as reasonably possible - that no household is in fuel poverty by 2040.

Fife’s LHEES provides a sound basis for significant ongoing and future action, both helping the council meet its 2045 net zero target and achieving Fife’s vision to be climate friendly, ready and just, while also being flexible enough to ensure improvements to technology and modelling can be incorporated at a later date.

Councillor Jan Wincott, Fife Council’s environment and climate change spokesperson, noted: “This strategy was informed through working with Council officers and partners across Fife.

“Ongoing collaboration, including sharing of knowledge, data, and innovations will be pivotal to the success of Fife’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy. It will also improve our buildings, help overcome challenges, and help Fife achieve national targets.

“With over half of Scottish energy demand in 2020 being for heating purposes, everyone in Fife will either help support and deliver the strategy and delivery plan through improving their homes and businesses; or experience the benefits of these measures by having more energy efficient homes and workplaces with low or zero emissions heating.”

Eight key priority areas have been identified as part of the LHEES’ development, ensuring the strategy will improve energy efficiency, decarbonise heat, and account for other important considerations.

Fife’s LHEES includes actions focussing on tackling fuel poverty by aiming to reduce fuel bills; community wealth building; an inclusive economy with green skills and jobs; and ensuring all communities and stakeholders are aware of the green heat transition to low and zero emissions heating.

A more detailed delivery plan will also be reported to Cabinet by March 2025 which will include specific opportunities for buildings/areas where energy efficiency measures and other decarbonised heating systems would be appropriate, along with timescales, delivery partners and indicators.

Pam Ewen, head of planning services, said: “Improving the energy efficiency of buildings and switching to climate friendly heating systems will be critical in Fife’s approach to addressing the climate emergency.

“Not only will the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy help guide energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation action across Fife, but it will also support the wider energy transition and Plan4Fife ambitions to reduce fuel poverty, increase green skills and jobs and support community wealth building.”