If we need a retrofit war effort – where’s our army?

In January, a cross-party group of MPs called for a “national war effort” on retrofit to improve the energy efficiency of the UK’s buildings, prolong their life and make them more cost-effective to run. 

While there is no doubt that we urgently need to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings, retrofitting requires skilled workers, regardless of the age and construction of a building to, for instance, install heat pumps or remove gas boilers. But, as the Construction Leadership Council recently highlighted, a lack of confidence in long-term policy direction has impeded the sector’s ability to invest in low carbon skills.

>> Also read: Use unspent apprenticeship levy money to boost heritage retrofit skills, government told

Furthermore, while many of us are aware that 20% of emissions come from operating buildings, fewer know that about one in five UK homes and a third of commercial buildings are “historic” – built pre-1919. These 6.7 million buildings include terraced and social housing, factories, offices and some of our nation’s landmark institutions.

They are part of our cultural identity, a source of national pride and support a considerable part of our economy. And, with help, they can play a major role in addressing the UK’s carbon footprint. 

But adapting historic buildings requires specialist training. Poorly executed interventions often fail to improve energy efficiency or to yield any climate-related benefit, sometimes ruining historic fabric in the process.

Worryingly, our analysis shows that we have just half the skilled workers, including electricians, plumbers, heat pump and ventilation installers and glaziers, to implement a full retrofit programme for the UK’s historic buildings. To achieve this, we’ll need around 105,000 additional workers each year until 2050.

Steps to building a skilled workforce

There is no short-cut to mobilising a retrofit army. This needs a co-ordinated effort between business and government, driven by policy, but carefully complemented with local programmes that recognise the unique needs of older buildings.

So with the National Trust, Peabody, Historic England and The Crown Estate, we are calling for a national retrofit strategy, greater guidance on retrofit standards, support for local skills initiatives and greater flexibility in the Apprenticeship Levy.

At Grosvenor we have also consistently advocated for planning reform to align heritage protection and environmental sustainability much more closely. This would provide the certainty the construction supply chain needs to invest in capacity but also make what is often a complex and convoluted process simpler for building owners, incentivising investment.

What’s the opportunity?

Sensitively retrofitting this number of properties is a major lever in decarbonising the built environment. Planning policy changes coupled with a skilled workforce could reduce emissions nationwide by up to 7.7 MtC0₂ per year, equivalent to 5% of the UK’s carbon emissions associated with buildings in 2019.

>> See also: Government announces winners of £1.8bn retrofit funding pot

>> See also: Spring Budget criticised for lack of retrofit measures

>> See also: When is demolition better than retention?

And the benefits are not just environmental – the economic, cultural and social opportunities are significant.

Building retrofit is a labour-intensive activity. In a boost to the green economy,  about £35bn of output and 290,000 green jobs could be created nationwide each year. Homes and business premises will be more cost effective to run and improvement will guard against heritage buildings becoming obsolete or undesirable, protecting them for future generations.

It is not called the “race to zero” for nothing. We need interventions at scale and at pace. The shortage of skilled heritage retrofit workers is as acute in Wales as it is in the North-west and London. And every year that we don’t make progress on this national mission is another year that we are going to be trying to make up down the line.

Tor Burrows, executive director, sustainability and innovation, Grosvenor