Cutting greenhouse gas emissions from buildings will be a key part of tackling climate change, and meeting legal targets for around 2030 could deliver £45 billion in benefits including savings on energy costs, improved air quality and health, claims a new report.
The study, from the Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE) and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), also argues that Government policies are set to miss the targets for cutting emissions from buildings by 18 per cent.
Furthermore, uncertainty over how well the policies will play out could mean emissions from homes and businesses could exceed the limits for the period 2028-2032 by 30 per cent, warns the report.
The research examined 48 policies that could reduce uncertainty and further cut emissions and makes 15 recommendations for the Government to take forward, with the Government having previously abandoned a flagship “green deal” home energy efficiency scheme, which had very low take-up and ditched targets to make homes “zero carbon” by 2016.
Recommendations in the new study include introducing minimum energy efficiency standards at point-of-sale for homes and businesses and tightening new building standards so they are zero carbon or near zero carbon, along with introducing a program of technical and financial assistance should help property owners meet standards for energy efficiency when they sell their buildings.
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