Pipeline to 2050 - Building the Foundations for a Harmonised Heat Strategy

Following up on our report Uncomfortable Home Truths: why Britain urgently needs a low carbon heat strategy, Pipeline to 2050 sets out recommendations for BEIS’ forthcoming Heat and Buildings Strategy. Based on the findings of five roundtables held between January and July 2020 with cross-party parliamentarians, policy-makers and experts from industry, academia and non-governmental organisations, the publication calls for a joined-up approach that simultaneously addresses all aspects of heat decarbonisation.
The report highlights that today, there is a patchwork of heat policy initiatives. Although they might incentivise positive development, in themselves are nevertheless too dispersed and not enough to drive the level of coordinated action that is needed given the complexity of heat decarbonisation. Setting out propositions to tackle challenges associated with the transition to low carbon heat in the areas of governance, funding, innovation and public engagement; the publication calls for a Heat and Buildings Strategy that shows a step change in terms of ambition for heat decarbonisation.
The report recommends that the Heat and Buildings Strategy needs to put forward a systematic approach that joins up all policy aspects and principles needed for the transition to low carbon heat. Moreover, given the cross-sectoral engagement needed between consumers, industry, research and various levels of the government, it argues that the Strategy has to be constructed in a way that simultaneously catalyses action from all stakeholders that are needed to take part in the process for effective heat decarbonisation.