The Scottish housing quality standard will have little impact on fuel poverty or emission levels, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has warned.

The SFHA said the standard was set at 鈥渟uch low levels鈥� it meant the Scottish executive was preventing associations from playing a 鈥渇ull part鈥� in a sustainable development strategy.

Misia Jack, policy and practice officer at the SFHA, said: 鈥淭he key to turning the Scottish executive鈥檚 principles into practice is the integration of sustainability as a way of thinking into 鈥� all the executive鈥檚 policies and legislation.鈥�

She added that the standard was not demanding enough, given that buildings account for more than 50% of CO2 emissions.

Introducing 鈥渨hole-life costs鈥� to the standard鈥檚 funding system would help associations build more environmentally friendly homes, she said.

Source

Housing Today