Climate advisers urge government to support ‘shovel-ready’ green projects
The government must upgrade homes and buildings as part of a wider green investment drive to boost the economy and build foundations for a net zero economy, according to the UK’s top climate advisers.
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The Committee on Climate Change called on ministers last week to support “shovel-ready” and “labour-intensive” net zero projects to get the economy moving again.
The CCC advised the government to produce an ambitious strategy to eliminate emissions from buildings through a clear direction for the next 30 years backed by standards, funding, skills and green passports.
Specifically, the CCC proposed introducing a new standard or regulation to ensure that overheating risk is assessed at the design stage of new-build homes or renovations.
Knight Frank, alongside MSMR Architects and Core Five cost consultants, highlighted the latest sustainable and least costly temperature control options in its Heating & Cooling Study 2020.
The CCC report also advocated a commitment to a “robust definition” of the Future Homes Standard which is “legislated well ahead of 2025 and ensures no fossil fuels are burnt in new homes”.
Last year, the government launched a consultation on proposed changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the building regulations for new homes. The changes form part of the Future Homes Standard, which is due to be introduced in 2025.
The consultation, which ran until 7 February, proposed two options including a 20% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the current standard, by using higher fabric standards such as triple glazing, which the government has calculated would add £2,557 to the build cost of a typical home.
The second option is a 31% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the current standard, by encouraging the use of low-carbon heating or renewable energy but with lower fabric standards than the first option. The additional build cost is calculated as £4,847 per home.
The CCC report also suggested developing supply chains for home renovation measures and heat pumps. For example, given boiler lifetimes of around 15 years, the report pointed to the need to “scale up markets and supply chains for low-carbon heating to cover all new installations by the mid-2030s at the latest”.
Additionally, the CCC advised the government to ensure that local authorities are properly funded to enforce buildings standards. Furthermore, it suggested the government should develop plans to swiftly scale up the levels of wood used in construction and set a national target for increasing the area of urban greenspace.