Building for a Sustainable Future

DescriptionIn 2006, the zero carbon homes policy was first announced by the chancellor of the day Gordon Brown. The intention was that by 2016 all new homes would be zero carbon and this would be achieved through a combination of on-site energy generation making use of renewable sources and tighter energy efficiency standards within the building regulations. In July 2015 government scrapped these plans and at the time Philip Sellwood the Chief Executive of the Energy saving Trust stated “Under the Climate Change Act, we have to achieve at least an 80% reduction in the carbon emissions from our homes by 2050. We need to be building homes now that are 2050 ready.” In April this year the House of Lords challenged the legitimacy of this and now zero carbon will again need to be debated by MPs in the House of Commons. Briefly discuss the history of zero carbon homes in the UK and comment on how successful you consider past attempts have been to encourage the building of such homes. Moving forward, do you consider we will have a new build housing stock that is 2050 ready or are we still failing deliver the sustainable homes of the future. Consider what drivers, for example, policy, incentives, education etc. you believe are required to achieve the necessary carbon reduction targets and how should these be put into practice.