NICOLA Sturgeon has admitted that decarbonising Scotland’s buildings is “one of the most significant and difficult challenges” as she was warned work must begin immediately if the £33bn ambition is to become a reality.

The First Minister was speaking in front of a panel of Holyrood committee conveners.

Net Zero Committee convener Dean Lockhart pointed to the Scottish Government’s plans to cut emissions in buildings by 2030 – which comes with a £33bn price tag.

Ms Sturgeon admitted that “public money will be a key part” of how the strategy is paid for, but only £1.8bn has so far been pledged.

Mr Lockhart said: “The Scottish Government has estimated that the retrofitting and decarbonisation of buildings by 2030 will cost more than £33bn.

“ How will this be funded because local authorities have told the Net Zero Committee that they don’t have the funds, they are facing a budget cut of £250m this year alone?”

Ms Sturgeon insisted that councils are “not facing a cut this year”, suggesting local authorities would receive “increasing” levels of finance.

She acknowledged the ambition is “a massive obligation”.

Ms Sturgeon said: “It is central to meeting our overall net zero targets – the decarbonisation of how we heat our homes and our buildings.

“Public money will be a key part of how we fund that. We have already made commitments to funding for the duration of this parliament.

“We will also have to work to lever in private sector investment and that is a key focus of what we are doing.

“Of course, there will be, and our efforts have to be to minimise the financial burden on individuals. But this will be a collective (strategy), as will so many aspects of the publication to meet net zero.”

But Mr Lockhart warned that work will have to begin immediately if the ambition is to be met.

He said: “The sheer physical work required to retrofit and decarbonise more than one million buildings across Scotland by 2030 – that means the physical work will have to start now, effectively.

“It’s going to take more than five years for that physical work to take place.

“In effect, it means the Scottish Government will have to raise the necessary financing over the next two or three years.

“I’m not convinced there’s enough work being done on this in terms of leveraging in the necessary private investment.”

But Ms Sturgeon insisted that “these plans are well underway within the Scottish Government”.

She said: “We’ve made significant commitments to public funding as a contribution to this. We are working to ensure that we are Able to start to leer in the finance.”

The First Minister pointed to “the phasing of this that will be needed” over the coming years.

She said: “I do concede your point that much of this will be front-loaded in terms of the infrastructure that is needed.

“This is one of the most significant and difficult challenges that we face but not meeting it is not an option.”