Scotland will achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. Find out how the historic environment will contribute to this target.
Our approach to achieving our outcomes is to facilitate and coordinate a wide range of actions, development, and dissemination activities that move us forward. You can find more information on our current work underway to achieve each outcome on these pages.
All our progress will be reported against our original baseline assessment of the sector’s performance.
Our initial approach includes establishing a baseline reporting method in the Greenhouse Gas (GHG protocol) and exploring mechanisms to broaden the reported data and its level of detail. There are also short-term and long-term actions identified to expand sector confidence, knowledge and data.
Year 2 development: Net Zero Advisory Activities
Encourage use of GHG reporting or relatable methods
Generate case studies on historic environment carbon reduction/offsetting success
Disseminate successful approaches to carbon reduction, with a first focus on Responsible Tourism (also Priority 3)
Produce a Historic Environment Route Map for Net Zero with a work package brief for reducing emissions.
To deliver on our commitment to environmental sustainability, we monitor and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the organisation and sector. These graphs show progress toward reducing our carbon footprint over time and place HES’s emissions data alongside that of key partners, including VisitScotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The final chart provides a breakdown of HES most recent emissions by type, helping us identify key areas for continued improvement.
There are short-term and long-term actions emerging for this area, including the important need for a phase of development work to inform a collective Historic Environment Route Map for Net Zero. This will include commissioning strategic advice/advisory groups in Year 2 to tackle critical need areas.
Review on VAT on repair and maintenance
HES consultation on future ‘Managing Change’ guidance
Identify current funding available to support climate resilience and encourage funder alignment
Year 2 Development: Net Zero Advisory Activities
Explore expansion of data sources to encourage greater climate reporting literacy e.g. data on pre-1919 dwellings, inclusion of data on embodied carbon
Produce a Historic Environment Route Map for Net Zero with work package briefs to further identified Skills, Guidance, Adaptation and Mitigation priorities.
Review and implement solutions to coordinate sector work in this area (previous OPiT Climate Change Group)
Work with stakeholders to demonstrate and improve the impact and adoption of climate mitigation and adaptation activities.
Historic buildings are central to Scotland’s identity, but their age can present challenges for modern living. These visualisations explore the number of dwellings by age band and highlight that older homes are more likely to fall below tolerable standards. This data can help inform decisions about where investment and support are most needed to preserve both heritage and housing quality.
The Skills Investment Plan (SIP) for the historic environment (2024) will produce detailed action plans.
The Skills Investment Plan (SIP) for the historic environment (2024) will produce detailed action plans.
Development of the SIP pillar and pathway action plans
Heritage Careers Week 2024
New and increased SIP pillar and pathway activities and programmes
Targeted programmes for trainees/apprentices
From August 2024 onwards we will commission advice to tackle the following questions and inform work packages/briefs for a future Historic Environment Route Map for Net Zero.
Identify critical actions required to harness better and more widespread recognition of the specific support/impact the historic environment provides and can contribute towards the transition to net zero.
Identify what actions will quickly or most effectively influence wide roll out, promotion and adoption of adaptation and retrofit measures (including skills).
Identify work packages to further Adaptation, Retrofit, Skills and related Guidance, Policy and Data Monitoring updates.
Agree the best approach to harness collaboration and maximise impact in Historic Environment Climate Change and Climate Resilience over the long-term.
At Comrie Croft, an eco-farm in Perthshire, a team of researchers, building professionals and community members have been assessing the sustainability of using turf as a building material today.
The project, funded by HES and a UK Economic and Social Research Council Impact Accelerator Grant, trialled building modern turf structures and investigated how prehistoric circular economies relying on turf regeneration could be translated into the present.
The project provided valuable insights beyond turf-building including reseeding strategies to maximise biodiversity and accounting of carbon balances including natural and social gains.
Designed and built by Daniel Postma of Archaeo Build, these structures and the wider project scope were developed from research by Tanja Romankiewicz of University of Edinburgh.
