Midlothian council is requiring property developers to design new buildings so that associated carbon dioxide emissions are reduced beyond national requirements.

The new guidelines require the majority of new buildings to incorporate microgeneration technology such as microturbines and solar panels.

Midlothian cabinet member for strategic services Russell Imrie commented: "The council is determined to address the challenge of climate change."

"We are currently working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions connected with our own operations through the Carbon Trust's climate change programme and our own forthcoming green travel plan," he said.

He added that Midlothian is the first local authority in Scotland to have such a policy in a finalised local plan and was one of the first in Scotland to agree to sign Scotland's climate change declaration

Midlothian council is currently contacting architects and other professionals operating in the area to outline the new requirements.

This news follows a recent study by the National Assembly's Members' Research Service suggesting that carbon emissions per person in Wales are the highest in the UK.