UK Government announces end of fossil fuel heating systems in new houses from 2025

The UK Government has announced plans to end fossil fuel heating systems in new houses from 2025.

The 2019 Spring Statement has announced plans to advance the decarbonisation of gas supplies to reduce dependence on burning natural gases in homes and businesses.

To ensure homes are better for the environment, they will introduce a Future Homes Standard by 2025, so that new build homes are future-proofed with low-carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency.

Last month, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) released a report which detailed how present UK housing was not equipped to deal with the effects of climate change. They recommended that by 2025, no new homes should connect to the gas grid.

A recent review by the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy found that the transport industry was the largest sector contributing to emissions in the UK. This is lightly touched upon in the new statement, with the government saying they will launch a call for evidence on Offsetting Transport Emissions.

The Spring Statement also gave a mention to biodiversity, pledging to provide a review which will identify actions to enhance biodiversity and deliver economic prosperity.

Green MP Caroline Lucas took to Twitter to announce her frustration with the plans for another review.

#SpringStatement announces "global review of economic benefits of biodiversity".

Clearly, only way Chancellor can understand natural world is if it's translated into shopping list.

We know how to restore nature & avoid climate catastrophe. We need action - not another review.

— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) March 13, 2019

The lack of depth and detail in the statement did not go down well with some environmentalists, with many saying it barely hit the mark on what is needed to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Friends of the Earth’s head of political affairs, Dave Timms said: “Instead of putting climate change at the heart of economic policy-making, the Chancellor is merely fiddling in the margins while the planet burns. With the government enthusiastically backing more runways, more roads and fracking, its little wonder the UK is likely to miss future climate targets. The Chancellor should have announced a massive programme of investment in home insulation and public transport, instead of pushing the false solution of carbon off-setting for aviation.”