The Scottish parliament is to consider a proposal for all new homes to be built to Passivhaus standard, or to a Scottish equivalent.
Homes built to Passivhaus level meet high standards of airtightness, insulation and energy efficiency, and Alex Rowley MSP wants this standard to apply to every new home built in Scotland. This includes homes which are custom and self built as well as those built by housing associations, councils or the private sector.
Mr Rowley, the Labour MSP for the Mid Scotland and Fife region, has proposed a private member’s bill, called the Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill, to be heard in the Scottish parliament.
"A move to the Passivhaus ‘gold standard’ for all new-build homes would be radical, ambitious, practical and forward-thinking,” said Mr Rowley.
“It would futureproof homes and prevent them from having to be retrofitted in the near future, upskill the construction sector and make Scotland a leading player with exportable skills and knowledge."
Passivhaus Backed by Climate Group
Mr Rowley proposed the Bill in response to recent recommendations from the Scottish Climate Assembly, which was set up by the Scottish Parliament in 2020 to provide recommendations to tackle the climate crisis.
When asked, 97% of the Assembly voted in favour of the eco home Passivhaus standard for new build projects in Scotland being introduced within five years.
And while the Scottish government in June announced a new strategy for building a net zero future which aims to “cut emissions of all new-build homes by nearly a third”, Mr Rowley wants ministers to go further.
"While we welcome the direction the government is working in, the proposed new standards do not go far enough to tackle inefficient housing and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They also miss a crucial aspect of our bill which is the need to close the 'performance gap,” he said.
“It is a welcome improvement but it does not bring the standard of modelling and testing up to the same standard as Passivhaus quality standards".
