Government 'in danger' of missing CO2 targets on new housing » Housing » 24dash.com

National Housing Federation chief executive David Orr will warn today that the Government is in danger of missing its target to ensure all new homes are carbon neutral by 2016.

Speaking at the Federation's annual conference in Birmingham, Mr Orr will reveal that while 92% of housing association new homes are already meeting minimum sustainable standards only 2% of new homes built by private developers do so.

He will say this means that private developers are already a long way behind in the drive to cut CO2 emissions from new homes and unless ministers intervene now, private sector developers will simply be unable to meet the 2016 deadline.
This concern is shared by the Association for the Conservation of Energy.

Housing associations currently build a quarter of new homes in England, with 92% of the homes they build meeting minimum sustainable standards.

From April 2008, ministers have said that the same proportion of housing association new-build must meet even stricter standards, meaning they will emit 25% less CO2 than conventional homes.

By 2016, housing associations will be compelled to ensure that all their new homes are carbon neutral. However, the Government is not compelling private developers to join the same mandatory timetable to reduce emissions.

And given that only 2% of new private homes currently meet minimum sustainable standards there are widespread fears that private developers will not be able to meet the Government’s stated target for zero carbon emissions by 2016.

Mr Orr will say: “Currently, private developers are not being compelled to meet minimum standards on greenhouse gas emissions at all. In fact, they are being allowed to put their profits ahead of the survival of future generations.

“It’s time that ministers legally locked private developers into the same timetable as housing associations. We have long been calling for the Government to ensure that from April 2008 all new private homes emit 25% less CO2.

"And we would like Ministers to make certain that all new privately-built homes are carbon neutral by 2016, at the very latest.

“Unless the Government compels the private sector to meet the same standards, and timetable, private companies will simply try to wriggle out of their environmental duties, saying it costs too much.”

He will add: “At the moment, as housing associations are the only ones using sustainable building methods, the supply chain is artificially expensive and housing associations are having to shoulder the cost. This is unfair. And, in effect, ministers are getting us to do the private developers’ research and development on the cheap.

”Some private developers argue that the supply chain of sustainable materials can’t deliver in line with the timetable we are calling for, but if it can deliver for housing associations, then it can deliver for everyone.”

Mr Orr will say that reducing the carbon footprint of new homes is particularly critical, as one third of CO2 emissions come from the nation’s housing stock.

But a Department for Communities and Local Government spokeswoman said:
"The fact is that all homes will be required to be zero carbon by 2016 and we are introducing legally binding regulations on the private sector.

"We also think it is important that the public sector leads the way, that is why we have said that the homes built with public money should cut carbon emissions even faster to demonstrate what can be done.

"It is really disappointing that the chief executive of the National Housing Federation seems unprepared to support the public sector leading the way, when we know many housing associations across the country do not take this view."

"There is a strong body of opinion in the private sector that they need to do more.

"Over 150 organisations, including house-builders, have now put their names to the 2016 Commitment to work together to build 240,000 new zero carbon homes a year within a decade. It's ambitious, but it can and will be done."

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