Housing Minister Margaret Beckett, on 17 December, set out the Government’s proposals for making all new homes in England zero carbon from 2016. It has launched a consultation process to enable the detailed requirements to be set that meet green objectives whilst recognising the difficult economic conditions currently facing the housing industry.
The consultation runs until 18 March 2009. Presently, housing accounts for 27 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions. The Government is legally committed to reducing carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 against 1990 levels, and requires both existing and new homes to become more carbon efficient to have a hope of meeting its target.
Ms Beckett said: “I am absolutely committed to our 2016 target, and this demanding goal is already spurring action here and abroad. With the consultation process we are launching today, we are confident we will be able to achieve our ambitions while giving the industry flexibility for how they get there.”
The Government is consulting on reductions between 44 and 100 per cent of emissions from the home (not including cooking and appliances, which are not at present covered by Building Regulations). Zero-carbon status is measured against the annual emissions from heating, ventilation, hot water, fixed lighting, and the expected use of appliances.
Following the consultation process, the Government will set minimum levels of carbon reduction that developers must achieve on the site of the housing development, such as through improved insulation, or providing onsite renewable energy. Additional requirements for cooking and other appliances would be met through a range of at least seven ‘allowable’ solutions.
Pending the consultation review, and based on DCLG proposals, should the proposals be adopted it represents a significant weakening of the Government’s initial stance on its zero carbon status - in which all energy would have to be generated by onsite micro renewables.
Whatgreenhome.com has long argued that while the generation of energy from onsite renewables should be part of the ‘energy mix’, local and regional renewable energy supplies should count towards a development’s zero-carbon status. The Government’s seeming inevitable climbdown is to be welcomed only if zero-carbon status remains an absolute regardless of whether the renewable energy source is produced onsite or offsite.
Meanwhile, following on from the world’s inaugural Climate Change and Energy Acts enshrined by law in the UK in late November, The European parliament has turned into law binding national targets for all member states. The so-called ‘triple 20’ deal calls for a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions against 1990 levels by 2020, and 20% of the energy mix must be from renewables.
The EU’s and Britain’s lead is vital and is to be heralded. Now, with a new US president in waiting, who is cognisant of the climate change agenda, the USA needs to take a firm line and pass legislation. Once it does, it is likely China and India, numbers two and four of the largest CO2 emitters (The USA is first; Russia third) will be pressurised to adopt climate change measures - and not before time.
The Zero Carbon consultation document can be downloaded from http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/theenvironment/zerocarbonhomes/.
