UK housing not equipped to deal with climate change, warns CCC

A new report by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has found that UK housing is significantly unprepared for climate change.

The report, published today, has assessed whether the UK housing industry is adequately prepared for climate change. 

The report says that the UK cannot meet present climate targets without a major improvement in housing. Energy use in homes accounts for about 14 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, the report states that these emissions need to fall by 24 per cent by 2030 from 1990 levels.

The CCC say that immediate Government action is needed to ensure new homes planned across the UK are fit for purpose. They recommend that by 2025, no new homes should connect to the gas grid.

Instead, they recommend making all new homes suitable for low-carbon heating, which could save £1,500 - £5,500 per home compared to later having to retrofit low-carbon heat from scratch.

Baroness Brown, Chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, said: “This report confirms what we have long-suspected: UK homes are largely unprepared for climate change. The Government now has an opportunity to act. There must be compliance with stated building designs and standards. We need housing with low-carbon sources of heating. And we must finally grasp the challenge of improving our poor levels of home energy efficiency. As the climate continues to change, our homes are becoming increasingly uncomfortable and unsafe.”

The report also highlights the importance of funding, the CCC recommends that the UK Government must implement the Green Finance Taskforce which provides information on green mortgages and green loans to encourage uptake and support financing of upfront costs.

Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, said: “Simply put, there is no way in which the UK can meet the legally-binding climate change targets that Parliament has determined unless we take the measures outlined in this report.”

This follows a report by BP which found that renewable energy will be the main source of global energy by 2040.

Read the full report here.