Major alliance urges Government to back ambitious Buildings Energy Infrastructure Programme

As the Government prepares to publish its Clean Growth Strategy, a group of leading businesses and thinktanks has today called for an ambitious new infrastructure programme to help decarbonise the UK's buildings.

As the Government prepares to publish its Clean Growth Strategy, a group of leading businesses and thinktanks has today called for an ambitious new infrastructure programme to help decarbonise the UK’s buildings at the same time as delivering a boost to the economy and providing massive energy savings.

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) is one of 20 organisations that have come together to form the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group (EEIG). Today’s report for the Group – Affordable Warmth, Clean Growth – was prepared by leading consultancy Frontier Economics, and sets out a comprehensive action plan to make all homes energy efficient within 20 years.

Key recommendations include:

  • a target for all homes to be brought up to an energy performance rating of C (on the A to G scale) by 2035
  • a requirement for new homes to be constructed to a zero carbon standard by 2020
  • subsidies for all low income homeowners to make energy efficiency renovations to their properties
  • changes to stamp duty to encourage renovations when people move home

Welcoming the report, UKGBC Chief Executive Julie Hirigoyen said:

“To achieve the UK’s carbon reduction targets we will need to insulate more than one home every minute between now and 2050.  An ambitious national infrastructure programme for energy efficiency is the only way to meet this challenge and must be placed at the heart of the Government’s Industrial and Clean Growth Strategies.”

Related