Last week’s news that the government has scrapped the 2016 zero carbon homes target – a measure contained in the small print of its anti-red tape “Fixing the Foundations” productivity report – has prompted widespread concern, but has also been welcomed in some quarters.
Two weeks ago, the annual report from the Committee on Climate Change called for the zero carbon homes target to be implemented “without further weakening” as part of a five-point plan to curb building-related CO2 emissions.
But its calls were ignored with the government revealing that a policy originally announced in 2007, and due to be implemented via a further tightening of energy efficiency standards in Part L 2016, was to be abandoned.
Commenting on the government’s announcement, CIOB senior policy and public affairs manager Eddie Tuttle said: “As we acknowledge in our Guide to the Built Environment, building more homes is a priority – and we recognise that other measures announced in the productivity plan will help to achieve this.
"While we accept that the definition of zero carbon, and indeed the term ‘zero carbon’, is by no means perfect, rationalising it would have been preferable over simply scrapping it."
Eddie Tuttle, CIOB
“But stripping back housing standards to do so sacrifices build quality and, in this case, it means occupiers of these homes will be spending more money and emitting more CO2 emissions.
“While we accept that the definition of zero carbon, and indeed the term ‘zero carbon’, is by no means perfect, rationalising it would have been preferable over simply scrapping it.”
In a statement, RIBA president Stephen Hodder also said that sacrificing zero carbon homes at the altar of greater housing output was an unacceptable means to an end.
He said: “The RIBA is hugely disappointed by the government’s decision to scrap both the Allowable Solutions carbon offsetting scheme and the proposed 2016 increase in on-site energy efficiency standards.
“This announcement, which was buried in an otherwise commendable Productivity Plan, is a significant backwards step and will challenge the UK’s ability to deliver cost-effective, energy efficient homes.”
But the FMB, which represents SME housebuilders, hailed the news as a “common sense” decision that would lift a regulatory burden from SME firms, allowing them to step up output.
Sarah McMonagle, head of external affairs at the FMB, said: “The… target for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016 was overly ambitious. The attempt to get down to the ‘zero’ of ‘zero carbon’ through proposed payments for off-site mitigation and further renewable technology threatened to impose significant additional costs on SME house builders – in short, this would have held back their ability to build more new homes.”
McMonagle continued: “The UK will still have to meet the target set by the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive that all new homes are ‘nearly zero-energy’ by the end of 2020.
“Right now, a period of consolidation makes good sense and will give us an opportunity to fix issues like the dangers of over-heating or poor air quality which can arise in some highly energy efficient buildings and the gap between designed and as-built performance.”
She also argued that new homes made a far smaller contribution to carbon emissions than existing homes, calling for greater focus on refurbishment as the most cost effective means of tackling emissions.
