UK Government publishes new report: ‘Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development’ that proposes a requirement that by 2016 all new homes should be net zero CO2 emitters.
The energy used to heat, light and run homes in the UK accounts for 27 per cent of all UK CO2 emissions - around 40 million tonnes.
Energy efficient and insulated buildings, which draw their energy from zero or low carbon technologies and therefore produce no net carbon emissions from all energy use over the course of a year, will help reduce carbon emissions as well as lowering fuel bills for households.
The report is part of a number of such measures, including:
- a framework for progressively tightening building regulations up to 2016 to increase the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of new homes;
- publication of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which aims to increase the environmental sustainability of new homes and give homeowners better information about the sustainability of their home. It sets out a star rating from one to six (with six being the most sustainable) which can be applied to all new homes
- From April 2008, after a voluntary phase, all new homes should be required to have a mandatory Code rating, indicating whether they have been assessed and the performance of the home against the Code;
- the requirement that by 2016 all new homes should be net zero CO2 emitters.
- a draft Planning Policy Statement on climate change, which expects planning strategies to be tested on their carbon ambition and, in providing for new homes, jobs and infrastructure needed by communities, shape places with lower carbon emissions and resilient to climate change.
- consultation on regulations to set minimum standards for water efficiency in new homes and new commercial buildings.
Gov Press Release: Link
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