Scotland's government is to invest millions of pounds in a new scheme to ensure that all new-build homes are run on renewable energy from 2024 onwards.

The new legislation will seek to further the use of renewable power for electricity and low-carbon heating schemes in all new-build residential properties in Scotland.

To support these ambitions, the government will invest £30 million into the scheme. Low-carbon and renewable energy heating systems will also be phased in for non-residential new-builds from 2024 to ensure that the country's infrastructure build plans are being progressed in the most environmentally friendly way.

The investment is designed to help support Scotland's bid to become carbon-neutral by 2045.

Paul Wheelhouse, the Energy Minister, said that the country was already recognised on the global stage as having a strong and powerful agenda for climate change and for setting a challenging 'net carbon zero' target for 2045 - far ahead of many other countries.

He added that there is also an interim target in place - and a highly challenging one - to reduce current emissions by 75% before 2030.

To achieve these aims, Mr Wheelhouse said, Scotland's building programmes had to show a similar commitment to low-carbon technologies and to phase out all instances of damaging fossil fuels.

This means that all new homes and properties being built across the country will be designed to tackle climate change whilst also providing warm and affordable new homes.

Scotland is already a world leader in renewable energy technologies such as offshore wind and is also investing heavily in the development of new clean energy technologies such as wave power, acting as a test base for new technologies and developments which will help the world move towards a cleaner, greener future.