New Build Standards
The Government’s commitment in 2019 that all new homes will be ‘zero carbon ready’ with at least 75% lower carbon dioxide emissions was encouraging and welcomed by the building industry. However, its current draft Futures Homes Standards would be insufficient to meet its own commitments.
Why do we focus on New Building Standards?
The UK has one of the oldest and leakiest housing stocks in western Europe, possibly in the world. 20% of our housing stock was built before 1919, and a further 34% before 1964 – yet 80% of buildings in use today will still be inhabited by 2050.
UKGBC’s Whole Life Carbon Roadmap found that homes are the largest single contributor of carbon emissions from the built environment. The Future Homes Standard is our best chance to put that right for the next generation of people living in new homes across the UK.
As the voice of our sustainable built environment, UKGBC works collectively across the sector and with Government to develop urgent and practical approaches to deliver truly zero carbon, climate-resilient future homes that will shape happy, healthy lives for the people living in them.