Government Pledges Zero Carbon Construction By 2020
The Government has set out plans which will make construction jobs carbon-zero by 2020.
The plans were announced at the annual conference of the UK-GBC and will see new home construction carbon free by 2016, and commercial construction carbon free by 2020.
“The zero carbon homes target has led to a huge amount of change within the house building industry and government is right to stick to its guns on that target. Zero carbon commercial buildings are also an important part of a low carbon economy, said Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, Paul King.
He added: “Setting a ten year timetable to achieving this is ambitious but achievable and we’ve now got to get on and make it happen”.
Zero Carbon Construction
Several points were set out by the Housing Minister, John Healey in his speech to the conference, including confirmation that the UK would be the first country in the world to make zero carbon construction the law by 2016.
The laws would set out an energy efficiency standard which new homes would be required to adhere to.
A consultation was also launched which will seek to find ways that non-domestic properties could have zero-carbon standards applied to them by 2019.
The consultation will come to an end in February 2010.
Government Pledges
Government pledges to invest in research aiming to find the most energy efficient way of designing and building new homes were also announced.
The investment comes in the form of £3.2 million which will boost the long-term research into driving down energy bills and raising standards using new technology and materials.
The industry should also benefit significantly from a new generation of talent, skills and technology supported by £10billion worth of green buying power which will come from a new government consortium.
It is hoped that the advances will also bring down costs in the industry.
