The Climate, Environment and Biodiversity Sub Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the arrangements for the new sub committee, receive the Climate Change Duties Report 2024-25, and get an update on the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy. The meeting was scheduled to take place in Council Hall, Dumfries.

Initial Sub Committee Arrangements

The Climate, Environment and Biodiversity Sub Committee were scheduled to discuss arrangements for the new sub committee. The report pack included the previous work undertaken by the Climate Emergency cross-party working group, and the agreed governance arrangements.

The Climate Emergency Cross Party Working Group oversaw the implementation of Dumfries and Galloway Council's 12-point Climate Emergency Plan. The report pack stated that the Working Group was instrumental in the reassessment and amendments of the council's net zero goals.

The report pack stated that the new sub committee would raise the profile of work to progress net zero carbon commitments and environmental protection activity, and provide formal scrutiny and oversight.

The sub committee is scheduled to meet a minimum of 4 times a year and carries a membership of 11 elected members. The sub committee will focus on:

• Climate Emergency declaration Net Zero activities.
• Wider Regional Net Zero activities.
• Environment activities which would have an impact on the region's environment and natural capital.
• Biodiversity activities which would have an impact on the region's biodiversity and habitats.

Climate Change Duties Report 2024-25

The Climate, Environment and Biodiversity Sub Committee were scheduled to consider the Climate Change Duties Report 2024-25¹. The report was to include progress made towards delivery of the public body duties for climate change. This included a reduction in stationary/building emissions and waste emissions, but an increase in transport emissions.

The report pack stated that by continuing the kerbside collection throughout the region and the continued implementation of Energy Reduction Measures throughout Council buildings, utility consumption has reduced, resulting in the council reducing its carbon emissions.

The report pack noted an increase in electricity consumption of Electric Vehicle Charging Points compared to the same period in the previous year.

The report pack included progress towards carbon emission reduction from baseline year 2017/18:

The report pack stated that the council's progress towards mitigation includes:

• The operation of 81 fully electric vehicles.
• Reduction of the Council's Estate by 10 sites within 2024/25 resulting in both revenue saving and capital receipt.
• The LED lighting project being delivered over two financial years, with planned works for educational and non-educational properties.
• The continuation of regionwide kerbside collection service for dry recyclates, and food waste collection service.
• The construction of the new Dumfries High School with stringent energy targets.

The report pack stated that the council are working with South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), who are focused on enabling a Just Transition to Net Zero.

The report pack stated that the council continues to work in partnership with the Energy Agency to deliver the Energy Efficiency Scotland: Area Based Scheme for Dumfries and Galloway[^3] which aims to reduce domestic carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty.

The report pack stated that the Strategic Housing Investment Plan actively targets the reuse of vacant and derelict land, regeneration of empty buildings and contributes to the sustainability of rural settlements and town centres.

The report pack stated that a further £1m Town Centre Living Fund has been put in place through the allocation of Council Tax on second homes income.

The report pack stated that the prioritisation of brownfield sites and empty buildings for development provides an opportunity to take forward much needed regeneration projects, while protecting and enhancing the region's natural capital.

The report pack stated that the Solar PV panels which were installed to the new nursery building at Noblehill Primary School have generated 6,729 kWh of electricity during 2024/25.

The report pack stated that the bid to the Salix Public Sector Heat Decarbonising Fund for the Ice Bowl in Dumfries was successful and Dumfries and Galloway Council was awarded £2.5M which was split over two financial years.

The report pack stated that 56 new Building Management Systems have been installed in schools across the estate.

Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) Update

The Climate, Environment and Biodiversity Sub Committee were scheduled to receive an update on the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy activity since the creation and submission to the Scottish Government in 2023.

The report pack stated that the Scottish Government's Heat in Buildings Strategy makes clear the need to ensure that, by 2045, homes and buildings no longer contribute to climate change, while also tackling fuel poverty.

The report pack stated that in December 2023 Dumfries and Galloway Council published its Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy, following the mandatory requirement determined by the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency (Scotland) Order 2022.

The report pack stated that Dumfries and Galloway Council's Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Delivery Plan, was prepared by Dumfries and Galloway Council's Climate Emergency Support Team with consultants City Science.

The report pack stated that the Strategy sets out how the building stock needs to change to meet national and local objectives, achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions in the buildings, and the removal of poor energy efficiency as a driver to tackle fuel poverty.

The report pack stated that as part of the ongoing delivery plan, further feasibility work has been undertaken to develop a better understanding of the opportunities for a heat network in Dumfries Town Centre.

The report pack stated that opportunities for networked heat have also been identified within Stranraer with an application to Scottish Government's Heat Network Support Unit been submitted seeking support for a feasibility study to be undertaken.

The report pack stated that the council is working with South of Scotland Enterprise and Scottish Borders Council to develop a Heat Network Prospectus.

The report pack stated that the first ever South of Scotland Heat Networks Prospectus was launched on 29 July 2025. The prospectus highlights a series of significant economic, environmental and social benefits that these networks could deliver and identifies a total of 19 heat network opportunities across the region.

The report pack stated that the 19 potential networks would cover over 2,400 domestic and non-domestic properties in the South of Scotland, which in total would provide approximately up to 120,000 megawatt hours of heat per year.

The report pack stated that the estimated capital cost of creating these networks would be approximately £120 million.

The report pack stated that there are opportunities for both larger district heat networks and smaller shared heat collector style networks.

The report pack stated that this prospectus has identified seven district heat network opportunities in larger towns and twelve shared heat collector network opportunities. District heat network opportunities include locations in Dumfries and Stranraer, whilst shared heat collector network opportunities include locations in Crossmichael, Langholm, Gretna, Kelloholm, Annan and Lockerbie.

The report pack included the Dumfries and Galloway Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) Strategy Report, which stated that Dumfries and Galloway Council is a trailblazer in acknowledging the serious urgency of action required to tackle climate change, having declared a climate emergency in June 2019.

The report pack included the Dumfries and Galloway Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) Strategy Report, which stated that Dumfries and Galloway region has just over 70,000 domestic properties and just over 11,000 non-domestic properties.

The report pack included the Dumfries and Galloway Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) Strategy Report, which stated that 87% of domestic buildings in Dumfries and Galloway were found to achieve the future 2033 EPC target of a C through fabric retrofit.

The report pack included the Dumfries and Galloway Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) Strategy Report, which stated that Dumfries and Galloway has significant opportunity for heat networks, particularly due to the presence of a large aquifer stretching across much of the area, which could offer an effective heat source.

The report pack included the South of Scotland Heat Network Prospectus, which stated that the purpose of presenting this range of opportunities is to demonstrate what could be possible in terms of heat network development in the region.

The report pack included the South of Scotland Heat Network Prospectus, which stated that the projects highlighted are either at a pre-feasibility or feasibility stage.

The report pack included the South of Scotland Heat Network Prospectus, which stated that the South of Scotland is agile and dynamic, with many examples of cross-regional collaboration between the two local authorities, and wider collaboration across the Borderlands.

The report pack included the South of Scotland Heat Network Prospectus, which stated that the key policy drivers at a national level relevant to the Dumfries and Galloway LHEES include decarbonisation and fuel poverty.