Today Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick claimed that his is committed to climate-friendly, zero carbon homes, even though his own target falls far short of this important standard.

Their new ‘Future Homes Standard’ aims to cut current emissions by 75-80% by 2025 – hardly the ambition or urgency needed to respond to the climate emergency. But in the Commons earlier today, he claimed that the government is “committed to net zero homes”. This was welcome news – but not what his own policy promises.

In 2006, the Labour government brought in the Zero Carbon Homes standard, ensuring that new homes would be so efficient that they would have an overall neutral effect on the climate by the deadline of 2016. This was scrapped by the Tories in 2015, before it could come into effect.

It’s not just Labour raising this. The Committee on Climate Change and the cross-party select committee for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are both very concerned at the government’s apparent lack of commitment to zero carbon homes.

Beyond the climate crisis, there are many reasons to build homes which use heat and power efficiently. Four million households in the UK are in housing which is drafty, damp, in disrepair or unsafe. Higher building standards would bring down emissions and improve quality of life. And as unemployment rises, new jobs and skills are needed more than ever. Sadly, the government still seems blind to these opportunities.

Today Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick claimed that the government is committed to climate-friendly, zero carbon homes, even though his own target falls far short of this important standard.Their new ‘Future Homes Standard’ aims to cut current emissions from new homes by 75-80% by 2025 – hardly the ambition or urgency needed to respond to the climate emergency. But in the Commons earlier today, he claimed that the government is “committed to net zero homes”. This was welcome news – but not what his own policy promises. In 2006, the Labour government brought in the Zero Carbon Homes standard, ensuring that new homes would be so efficient that they would have an overall neutral effect on the climate by the deadline of 2016. This was scrapped by the Tories in 2015, before it could come into effect. It’s not just Labour raising this. The Committee on Climate Change and the cross-party select committee for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are both very concerned at the government's apparent lack of commitment to zero carbon homes.Beyond the climate crisis, there are many reasons to build homes which use heat and power efficiently. Four million households in the UK are in housing which is drafty, damp, in disrepair or unsafe. Higher building standards would bring down emissions and improve quality of life. And as unemployment rises, new jobs and skills are needed more than ever. Sadly, the government still seems blind to these opportunities.

Posted by Thangam Debbonaire on Monday, 5 October 2020

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