12 COMMENT THE INDUSTRY ADVOCATE


Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders


BUILDERS ARE STARTING TO FEEL THE HEAT


Brian Berry discusses how the industry can realistically address the Government’s demanding 2050 carbon target.


summer, to legislate for the UK to have net- zero carbon emissions by 2050. While the UK had already committed to


T


reducing CO2 levels by 80 per cent, the extra 20 per cent reduction will require urgent and widespread changes not just to the way we live, but also to how we build. The built environment is responsible for an alarming 40


per cent of all CO2 emissions, of which housing, both new and old, make up about half of this.


The Government has consulted on initial ideas for a ‘Future Homes Standard’ which will


aim to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted from new build properties by 75-80 per cent from 2025. It has also proposed a series of transi- tionary measures on energy efficiency and the ventilation of homes.


MOVING TO LOW CARBON HEAT SOURCES MUST BE PART OF THE PICTURE


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It’s welcome news that the Government is taking leadership on this and providing a clear long-term direction of travel. This is the best way to make changes in this area, in order to allow industry time to prepare. However, treading carefully is key. We must avoid knee- jerk reactions that could lead to unintended consequences such as over-heating, poor indoor air quality or reduced housing supply. The need to rectify problems in the future – or hitting SME housebuilders with disproportion- ate costs – are unacceptable outcomes. They would compromise the SME building sector’s support for measures that it accepts must be taken if we are to tackle the climate emergency.


The Government’s preferred option of 31 per


cent reduction in CO2 this year is too far too fast. Instead, a 20 per cent reduction this year with incentives for housebuilders to go further, such as via stamp duty relief on the most energy efficient properties, is a more sensible step forward.


Energy efficiency measures should focus on improvements that are integral to the structure of a house, for example better insulation and


he country is only now starting to come to terms with the radical implica- tions of the Government’s decision, last


tighter glazing. This is the sustainable approach, and cheaper for the homeowner in the long run. We agree with the Committee for Climate Change that a reliance on technology- based solutions such as installing solar panels at the expense of these other measures risks undermining the Government’s ability to reach its demanding net-zero target.


Moving to low carbon heat sources for our homes must also be part of the picture. However, it would be premature to assume that this is possible on a mass scale this year. Currently, only around 20,000 air source heat pumps are installed each year; to expect the market to be able to deliver 10 times this in the space of 12 months is unrealistic. There will need to be significant upskilling of heat engineers. A lower immediate carbon reduc- tion target would allow time for alternative heat markets to develop to replace gas, and for builders to prepare.


While it is important we focus on reducing the carbon footprint of our new homes, it is important not to neglect the 27 million homes that have already been built. The vast majority of these will still be standing in 2050, and are some of the leakiest in the whole of Europe. While energy use per household fell by 21 per cent between 1990 and 2014 there has been no progress since.


SME builders will support the Government in making existing homes more energy efficiency. But it’s currently uncertain how their targets will be reached. Today, only 29 per cent of homes currently meet the required EPC standard.


The FMB have been calling for a national retrofit strategy to map out how we will ensure that the UK’s homes are fit the future, as well as how to motivate homeowners to commis- sion this work. We hope to work with the Government ahead of the COP26 climate change conference being held in the UK in November this year, to help them develop such a strategy that’s fit for the future. We’re ready to work together, sensi- bly, to turn down the heat.


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