Climate change, or global warming, as it is also often called, refers to the increase in the earth's near surface air temperature and oceans. It is widely accepted that the global average temperature has risen by 0.6°C during the past century. It is also now generally accepted that the major contributor to global warming is carbon, primarily dioxide, that is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned to generate energy.

In the western world, and the UK specifically, our reliance on and use of fossil fuels for heating our homes, providing power and driving a car, for example, is on average three times the sustainable level. Known as a carbon footprint, our individual output can be lessened by such seeming small measures as boiling less water when making a cup of tea, recycling paper and tins, to walking rather than taking the car to the shops.

On an industrial level, carbon emissions, obviously, far outweigh individual outputs. Buildings alone are said to account for 50 per cent of our total national energy use, a figure that can be dramatically reduced by effective construction processes as well as ongoing initiatives. For example, concrete, far and away the most used construction material, continues to emit carbon dioxide long after it has been laid – regardless of how much energy is used in its production.

Instead, timber framed and clad houses when sourced from a sustainable forest are far lighter carbon users, for example. Should the house also be well insulated, oriented to harness the sun's rays for warmth, and be built with thick walls that will keep the property's interior cool in summer and warm in winter, the need for energy hungry air conditioning and heating can be alleviated too.

Similar effective measures can be made with regard to reducing water usage (half flush on a toilet is one very quick and simple measure), lessening landfill by maximising recycling opportunities, and reducing car usage by implementing car-share schemes, providing bicycles and/or electric (rechargeable) golf buggies on private housing developments. None of which is necessarily costly or any more expensive than ‘traditional’ methods employed for the last half century.

A myth of sustainable development is that it costs considerably more – a cost that can't necessarily be passed on to the purchaser, and so comes off the bottom line. In the UK, the Communities Department estimates that the extra cost of building a zero-carbon house is 7% higher than building a conventional one. Social housing builder Places for People recently built 229 homes that achieved an EcoHomes Excellent rating at an additional cost of only 2% per unit. Proof, if needed, that sustainable development need not be prohibitively expensive.

Ultimately, reducing global warming is everyone's responsibility: individuals, business and governments. For the cynical among you, who may remain unconvinced by the arguments, it is even a business opportunity. Stefan Botha, international marketing executive for progressive South African developer eLan Group, hit the nail on the head when asked if the issue of global warming and carbon-neutral homes is:

• a business opportunity
• a load of red tape to be unraveled
• or, simply something that must be done to help prevent global warming.

He said: “The public is responding very favourably to the Eco trend in South Africa, and there is a status attached to such ventures and people are willing to pay extra for association with such initiatives. It's also a business opportunity by way of recruiting further purchasers if the process is followed in the correct manner, but fundamentally it's simply something that must be done to help prevent global warming.”