8 THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE Planning for in-built sustainability


If the UK is to reach carbon net-zero by 2050 and its homes are to withstand the changing climate, sustainability needs to be ‘baked into developments’ from the outset. Isabella Krabbe of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) tells Jack Wooler why planning will be key to success in a challenging context.


authorities should monitor and report on the performance of local planning policy in meeting carbon budgets for their area. She adds however that there is a lack of


central policy clarity: “The repeal of the Zero Carbon Homes standard in 2015 caused widespread confusion across the industry, and has resulted in a large number of homes continuing to be built that will require costly retrofit.” Her organisation has welcomed the


T


he transition to a zero carbon society – meeting the Government’s 2050 targets and developing the resilience


necessary for homes to face up to the changes in climate already here – will involve every part of the construction sector, and planning is no exception. It will in fact play one of the most crucial


roles, according to Isabella Krabbe, the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI’s) climate change research officer, who believes that engaging communities and enabling ‘green’ choices from the very start of projects will be key to success. “By minimising developments’ emissions


through finding sustainable locations which are integrated with low-carbon infrastruc- ture, planning can ensure design delivers climate adaptation and mitigation from the outset,” she says. “Planning can also do this as part of a


wider democratic conversation with the local community, helping to both reduce emissions and build resilience to extreme weather events.” As outlined in its recent Plan the World


We Need report, Krabbe and the RTPI argue that a well-resourced planning system has the potential to not just play a key role in meeting net-zero targets, but revive the economy and “seize the opportunity to tackle inequality and deliver a sustainable recovery post-Covid.”


CHALLENGES Krabbe believes that one of the key challenges is to bring local plans in line with the carbon budgets set out by the Committee on Climate Change. She argues that a revised National


Planning Policy Framework should set out a “clear pathway” for carbon accounting, monitoring and reporting, and that local


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Government’s commitment to the Future Homes Standard (FHS), but she says it is “unacceptable” that new homes built today must rely on the decarbonisation of the grid to reach net zero. “The FHS should act as a ‘floor’ rather


than a ‘ceiling,’ with room for ambitious local authorities to set higher targets before the implementation date of 2025.” Next on her list of challenges is a lack of


focus on lifecycle emissions and embodied carbon, particularly given the drive for new housebuilding in the Planning White Paper. She says there must be a greater focus on the use of sustainable construction materi- als such as timber, stone and slate. In addition, she says “policies need to be


developed to monitor the ‘as-built’ energy performance of new developments and close the performance gap.” Smart technol- ogy could play a key role in performance monitoring, allowing LPAs, developers and Building Control Officers to access live information, Krabbe asserts. The challenge of retrofitting existing


stock needs a “national strategy,” she says, with a stronger regulatory framework plus powers and resources for local authorities. Demand for energy and water will also


need to be reduced to meet targets, and the RTPI believes that local authorities should have the power to align the investment strategies of utility providers with local strategies for growth and regeneration. Lastly, Krabbe notes the challenge of


reducing transport emissions at the scale and pace required. She believes it will need to be fully integrated with transport and land use planning – promoting develop- ments that reduce travel demand and which facilitate the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.


BUILDING RESILIENCE Beyond reducing further emissions in the longer term, Krabbe also believes it is vital that new homes be resilient to the impacts of climate change that are happening now.


“Climate resilience refers to the ability of


cities, as ecological, social, and economic systems, to resist, recover from, and continue to develop despite climate-related shocks,” explains Krabbe. ‘Resilience’ recognises the need for a


holistic consideration of the impacts, from flooding to heat stress, she adds. “It highlights the need for a consideration of not only geography but also the social and economic factors that make some commu- nities particularly vulnerable and the impact this has in terms of economic stress and health and wellbeing.” Flood risk is often a top UK priority, but


Krabbe says that effective adaptation strate- gies will require a holistic approach, which considers a range of climate impacts from flooding to heat stress. “Local plans should consider adaptation


measures from individual buildings to future patterns of development, and consider the future impacts of climate change on time horizons of 50 to 100 years,” she says. “A consideration of why levels of vulnera-


bility to climate change vary, and how policies benefit or disadvantage particular groups is crucial when developing climate adaptation or mitigation policies.” Krabbe notes that Section 19(1A)


Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 already sets out that “Development plan documents must (taken as a whole) include policies designed to secure that the development and use of land in the local planning authority’s area contribute to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.” This is echoed in paragraph 149 of the National Planning Policy Framework which states “Plans should take a proactive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change.”


“PLANNING CAN BE PART OF A WIDER DEMOCRATIC CONVERSATION WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, HELPING TO BOTH REDUCE EMISSIONS AND BUILD RESILIENCE TO EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS”


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