The strategy will not only cover the council’s directly held and managed assets but all publicly and privately held buildings in the city limits – from homes, offices and factories to hospitals, schools and libraries.

Turner & Townsend will undertake a detailed policy review and assessments of data for existing buildings, which in turn will inform a comprehensive programme for systematic carbon reduction that also brings benefits in energy security and lower bills. The resulting plans will be presented for public consultation prior to their adoption by the end of 2023.

The programme will draw on the business’ skills in sustainability and net zero consulting. Turner & Townsend will work in collaboration with leading consultants Ramboll to advise on possible heat network zones across the city and Changeworks, Scotland’s leading environmental charity delivering solutions for low carbon living, who will deliver complex data analytics on building stock decarbonisation pathways.

The appointment is part of a wider push by the Scottish Government to give local authorities a leading role in driving the country’s net zero ambitions. Under guidance from the Government, each local authority across Scotland will prepare an equivalent LHEES reflecting the particular socio-economic needs of the community and the performance characteristics of buildings across the area.

Turner & Townsend’s work will build on the consultancy’s existing retrofit programme with the City of Edinburgh Council, which includes whole house refurbishment on the authority’s directly-managed estate. This involves providing end-to-end project and cost management services for a whole-building retrofit of Oxcars and Inchmickery Courts. This project is intended as an exemplar of successfully retrofitting social housing at scale to reduce energy and emissions as well as tackle fuel poverty.

Hassan Waheed, sustainability lead - Scotland at Turner & Townsend, said: “Scotland is leading the way in its guidance for local authorities to drive the decarbonisation of the country’s building stock. This is a significant challenge but one which will play a critical role in reaching Scotland’s 2045 net zero target.

“Our expertise in decarbonisation schemes across the public sector puts us in a strong position to help the City of Edinburgh Council to face up to this challenge. We’re pleased to be building on our long-standing relationship with the council to make homes, hospitals and schools more energy efficient – for the benefit of the environment and Edinburgh’s residents.”

Councillor Cammy Day, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, added: “Edinburgh has set ambitious targets around becoming a net zero city by 2030 and we continue to lead the way in this field. We know that the energy used to heat our buildings is a major contributor towards emissions, so decarbonising our building stock is a crucial part of achieving this goal.

“This strategy will provide us with a route map for achieving this and I’m looking forward to seeing our partners deliver this for us as we head towards becoming Scotland’s sustainable capital city.”