100 Days of Labour Government: Verdict from the green buildings industry 

The UK Green Building Council has produced this 100-Day Progress Report of the incoming Labour Government to give the Government itself, parliamentarians, industry, local authorities, journalists and the country more widely, an early sense of whether the first decisions, tone and announcements on the built environment set the country on track to meet climate, nature and cost of living commitments

In a new report marking the 100-day milestone of the new Government, green buildings experts have called on the government to ‘put pen to paper and wed planning reform to the Climate Change Act in law to head off a quagmire of uncertainty, delays and hostility.  

In a new report, marking 100 days in office for the new Government, the UK Green Building Council has shone a spotlight on how Labour can turn the big decisions ahead on new developments, upgrading the country’s cold damp homes, and renewing our high streets into a legacy that puts us on track to tackle the climate, nature and cost of living crises. 

The national charity, backed by hundreds of businesses in the industry, has assessed the Government’s progress with a new report tracking every announcement and commitment about the built environment and analysing it to indicate whether the country is on track to meet climate, nature and cost of living commitments and to make recommendations about the pivotal decisions ahead.  

Simon McWhirter, Deputy Chief Executive for the green charity said:  

The tone and early actions of this Government are streets ahead of the last on climate issues. But there’s still a massive hill to climb. And decisions are on a knife edge over planning reform and standards for new buildings. And a re-think is needed on levels of investment to upgrade the country’s cold, gas-guzzling homes. 

The stakes are high. The Government could see a nationwide backlash to its big plans for new development unless every decision helps, not hinders, efforts to tackle the climate and nature emergencies as well as the cost of living crisis. That means delivering what they voted for in Opposition, putting pen to paper and wedding the planning system to the Climate Change Act in law when it drafts the much-awaited Planning and Infrastructure Bill.  

Get it right and we could see a new era of clean electricity, affordable low-carbon homes where they’re needed, and large areas to protect and restore nature. Get it wrong and we could destroy what’s left of the country’s natural habitats, exceed our legally binding carbon budgets, and risk further planning confusion, legal challenges and higher costs.”  

Download the full report here

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