Scotland wants greener homes

The Scottish government said it planned to work with energy companies to ensure the country's homes are more energy efficient. The Scottish government estimates hundreds of thousands of homes lack basic insulation. Scottish Infrastructure Secretary Alex Neil, in a statement, said investments worth more than $3 billion would help make Scottish households more efficient. "Scotland's housing stock is responsible for more than a quarter of our carbon emissions, which is why it is essential that measures are put in place to improve the energy efficiency of our homes," he said. London this month rolled out legislation that would give the industry the go ahead to move forward with the so-called Green Deal, an effort to better insulate buildings in England. The British Department of Energy and Climate Change said more than half of the buildings in the country lack adequate insulation. "Overall our leaky buildings account for 43 percent of the U.K.'s total greenhouse gas emissions," the DECC stated. The Green Deal will help consumers offset the costs of insulating buildings.