Climate Change Committee welcomes progress across Highland Council's Net Zero Programme

5th February 2026

Members of Highland Council's Climate Change Committee have welcomed continued progress across a wide range of projects within the Council’s Net Zero Programme.

At the meeting held on Wednesday 28 January, Members received updates on delivery across the Sustainable Travel and Built Estate & Energy workstreams, highlighting tangible progress in reducing emissions, improving operational efficiency, and delivering long term financial savings.

Councillor Kate Willis, Chair of the Climate Change Committee, said: "It is encouraging to see sustained progress being made across Council services as we work towards Net Zero. By improving how we manage our fleet, buildings and assets, we are delivering practical changes that reduce emissions, strengthen our resilience and make better use of public resources."

Sustainable Travel

Rationalisation of the Council’s fleet continues, with opportunities being identified to increase vehicle sharing, maximise utilisation and remove vehicles surplus to operational requirements. Since January 2025, this work has resulted in the removal of 34 vehicles from the fleet.

Migration of EV charging points from Charge Place Scotland to EZO is progressing well as part of the North of Scotland EV charging infrastructure partnership. The migration is on track for completion by April 2026, with new locations identified for future expansion of the network.

Members also welcomed an update on a pilot trial assessing the feasibility of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a low-carbon fuel alternative. The trial, currently underway using both a public bus and a refuse collection vehicle, is evaluating operational performance and reliability, with findings expected to inform future recommendations on scalability and wider fleet adoption.

Built Estate & Energy

More than 200 non-domestic Council properties have been surveyed to identify practical pathways towards Net Zero. The programme is prioritising energy-intensive assets such as schools and leisure centres, helping to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption, cut emissions and lower operating costs.

At the Housing & Property Committee on 28 January, Members approved the introduction of a new framework to guide decisions on the future of Council assets. The Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) places sustainability, climate resilience and environmental performance at the centre of asset decision making, ensuring alignment with the Council’s Net Zero Strategy.

Property Services also confirmed the ongoing development of the Council’s Net Zero and Sustainability Design Standards. These standards will be applied across future capital projects, including those delivered through the Highland Investment Plan, to ensure consistent integration of Net Zero, climate resilience and whole-life value considerations from the earliest stages of project development.

The Climate Change Committee further agreed to recommend approval of four additional projects for inclusion in the Net Zero Programme. This includes a dedicated project to embed Net Zero and sustainability principles into Highland Investment Plan Community Points of Delivery (POD) projects, ensuring climate, resilience and carbon outcomes are designed in from the outset. The proposed Design Standards will be brought to Members for approval in due course.

To view the full reports, visit: https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/5292/climate_change_committee