The climate remains in a state of emergency and in an emergency courage is often required. Last Thursday was Earth Overshoot Day, the day when humans have officially used as much from nature as the planet’s ecosystems can renew within a year.

It means that in seven months we have used what should – at the very least – have supported the planet for a year.

It is clear that there is an urgent need for bold action to redress the way our lives impact the planet. And to do so is also an opportunity to improve things about the way we live.

How we heat our homes is one way we can make significant progress. A fifth of all the climate pollution we produce each year in Scotland comes from our homes – our heating, hot water and the appliances we use.

But we can make cleaner home heating more affordable as part of a fairer, low-carbon future that actually works better for everyone.

Right now heat pumps are the best low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel burning gas or oil boilers. Heat pumps are an electric-powered technology that are more than three times as efficient to run than gas boilers and already a trusted heating source in many rural homes across Scotland.

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However, with household electricity prices in the UK higher than in any country in the EU, for heat pumps to become truly attractive to people the Westminster Government needs to make electricity market reforms a top priority.

Reforming electricity levies and removing the outdated mechanism that ties wholesale electricity prices to the cost of expensive gas-fired power stations is one of the most important things the UK Government can do to help people in Scotland to switch to clean heating. Our latest research shows that doing so would mean energy bills would fall for virtually everyone who switches to a heat pump.

Our politicians in Holyrood have a significant role to play in this emergency response too – and courage is needed. Scotland is far off the pace we need to be when it comes to getting low-carbon heating installed in our homes. Last year around 5,000 heat pumps were installed, compared to the around 100,000 gas boilers that are installed annually.

For Scotland to reach its targets we need to get from around 50,000 households with heat pumps today to somewhere in the region of 2 million households by 2045 – and that needs more of an emergency response than we currently have.

The Scottish Government’s proposed Heat in Buildings Bill contains some genuinely innovative measures designed to accelerate the home heating transition including a mechanism which would involve some homebuyers upgrading to a low-carbon heating system within a set period of time following the purchase of a home. It is crucial that progress is made on these policies in the next few years alongside UK energy pricing reforms – which means a robust Heat in Buildings Bill must be introduced by the government this autumn. Previous bills aimed at addressing the climate emergency have enjoyed broad cross party support in Holyrood in recognition of the importance of taking urgent action. It is imperative that we see the kind of unity and courage in parliament that would allow for bold measures to accelerate low-carbon heating to become law.

If the right action is taken on home heating in both Edinburgh and London, we can get back on the path to a proper response to the climate emergency and start making our way towards a future of cheaper, cleaner energy in our homes.

Robin Parker is the mission manager of Nesta Scotland, and Fabrice Leveque is the climate & energy policy manager, WWF Scotland