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It’s hugely concerning to read reports that only 0.04% of Scottish households have made use of the Scottish government’s green homes initiative. With the Green Deal due to come into force in early October, it doesn’t bode well for potential take-up of that scheme.

Sadly, the incentives offered by the green homes initiative appear insufficient to entice the vast majority of homeowners to take advantage.

If the Scottish and UK governments are going to have any chance of meeting ambitious carbon reduction targets, more radical incentives will be needed to catch the average consumer’s attention. Cutting VAT on home repairs and improvements to 5% would save consumers a further £15 on every £100 they spend on energy efficiency measures, for example.

Ultimately, with building use responsible for 40% of all carbon emissions, we need to get serious about making our built environment greener. Ministers should introduce a comprehensive retrofit programme to bring all buildings up to the modern standards needed to meet environmental targets while supporting jobs and skills in the building industry.

Michael Levack, chief executive, Scottish ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø Federation