The Alliance hosted its inaugural annual event at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on Wednesday 10th September, bringing together researchers, local authorities, community leaders, and industry partners to explore how Scotland can accelerate its transition to a zero-carbon future.  

Mette High, Alliance Director warmly welcomed attendees to the event emphasising the importance of ground-up action and the Alliances mission: to connect, convene, and support the people and institutions. She urged attendees to “keep asking hard questions, listening carefully, and working across boundaries,” reinforcing the events focus on collaboration, local leadership, and practical solutions. 

The event began with reflections on what net zero means for Scotland with participants sharing both optimism and concern. A live Slido poll revealed words like, “slow,” “complex,” and “off track,” alongside “ambitious” and “inspiring,” setting the tone for a day of honest dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.

Local Authorities Leading the Way 

The first panel, chaired by  Judi Kilgallon invited local authority representatives to share their experiences of implementing Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), showcasing innovative approaches to real-world challenges.

We heard from Ian Cochran on behalf of ChangeWorks on tools for data-driven planning, stakeholder engagement, and programme delivery across 25 councils. Amanda Kean from West Dunbartonshire Council highlighted Scotland’s first large-scale water source heat pump at Queens Quay, Clydebank which supplies municipal buildings and homes, with plans for expansion. Diarmid Turnbull, representing East Ayrshire Council, discussed the CoRE project, a holistic regeneration initiative tackling fuel poverty, retrofit, skills development, and community decarbonisation. Lawrence Turner from Clackmannanshire Council completed the panel outlining the vision for the Alloa Heat Network, supported by a feasibility study and aligned with the Regional Energy Masterplan. 

Designing and implementing Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) is central to local authorities’ role in delivering a just transition, and bridging the gap between research, innovation, and local delivery is essential to meeting Scotland’s emissions reduction targets. 

Breakout Sessions: Heat, Finance, and Community Engagement 

Delegates took part in three focused breakout sessions exploring key themes in Scotland’s energy transition: heat, finance, and community engagement. 

Led by Decarbonising Heat Co-Leads Zoe Shipton and Jen Dickie, the heat breakout session explored overcoming fragmentation, addressing that many projects are happening simultaneously but often in isolation, and fostering cross-project learning.  

In the Finance and Social Impact session, Financial Pathway leads Sean Field and Andrew Sudmant discussed support for community ownership and co-benefits, alongside calls for capital grants and rate relief to unlock local initiatives. 

Led by Mette High and Kirsty Fraser the community engagement session explored how to make technical issues more accessible through local conversations and skill-building, reinforcing the importance of inclusive participation in climate action.

Strategic Collaboration Key to Scotland’s Energy Future 

The final panel focused on strategic collaboration and long-term impact. Chaired by Paul Steen, the session featured insights from Gemma Bone-Dodds, Director of Insights and Policy at BE-ST, Stuart Walker from Scottish Power Energy Networks, and Alex Rathmell, Capacity Building Manager at the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service 

The session opened with reflections on the development of energy networks over the past 11 years, acknowledging the slow pace but maintaining confidence in long-term goals. The panel emphasised that while progress has been challenging, the journey toward large-scale investment in heat networks is now truly beginning.  

Looking ahead, the discussion shifted to future-gazing—envisioning the energy landscape 40 years from now. Drawing parallels with Denmark’s long-term approach, the panel highlighted the importance of sustained development across power, transport, and heat sectors. Speakers were invited to share their views on the infrastructure, business, and lifestyle changes that could shape this future, with a focus on taking a positive and optimistic outlook. 

The session underscored the need for strategic collaboration, long-term planning, and empowering local authorities to play a central role in delivering sustainable energy solutions. 

The event concluded with a final Slido poll capturing attendees’ reflections on the day, with words like “useful,” “inspiring,” “encouraging,” “networking,” and “group thinking” emerging closing the day on a note of optimism, connection, and shared purpose. 

Voices from the Event 

“It was a pleasure to join a panel at the SRAEHL Annual Event alongside speakers from Built Environment – Smarter Transformation, ScottishPower, and Vattenfall, discussing local authorities’ unique role in planning and delivering the net zero transition. 

“The event provided a great overview of the inspiring action on decarbonisation taking place across Scotland, as well as deep dives into finance, community engagement and co-benefits. All this was highly valuable for me being new to my role, and a great opportunity to showcase the work of SCIS.” — Alex Rathmell, Scottish Climate Intelligence Service 

“I’ve gained a lot of inspiration from each session today. I really enjoyed the conversations from the co-benefit’s one in particular; it was interactive and employed gamified methods to dig into the issues, but the outcomes captured clear themes around community ownership and why it’s important. The alternative methodology is an exciting prospect.” — Gemma Bone-Dodds, Built Environment-Smarter Transformation 

“Events like this are really important in connecting communities and community groups with researchers and industry experts to develop innovative solutions that also provide socially viable approaches.” — Lorenzo Sapochetti, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)