Call comes as leadership candidates distance themselves from green initiatives
The two candidates to become the UK’s next prime minister have been urged to reaffirm their commitment to net zero by setting out a fully-funded national retrofit strategy.
In an open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the chief executive of the Building Research Establishment (BRE) said the current government’s plans did not go far enough to address rising energy costs and decarbonising the built environment.
Both candidates have committed to maintaining the UK’s 2050 net zero target, though recent weeks have seen both criticise the installation of solar panels on farmland.
Frontrunner Truss has said she would temporarily halt the green levy and increase North Sea gas extraction, while Sunak has mooted a ban on onshore wind farms.
On the campaign trail, the former chancellor has hinted at investments into insulation for low-income households, telling The Times he wanted to see hundreds of millions of pounds refocused on a nationwide insulation programme, rather than heat pumps or decarbonising public sector buildings.
But Building understands there are concerns within the BRE over Sunak’s willingness to spend on the level necessary to achieve the UK’s climate goals.
Retrofitting the UK’s 28 million homes could cost more than £500bn, but Sunak’s Treasury was widely reported to have opposed increased spending on efficiency measures in the energy security strategy, published in the Spring.
Gillian Charlesworth, chief executive of the BRE, urged both candidates to publish “credible and effective” plans to decarbonise the UK’s homes and buildings.
“This year has been tough for our economy, and it will become tougher still as cost-of-living pressures and macroeconomic conditions worsen,” she said.
“However, we will be sentencing families, businesses, and communities to an even more costly and bleak future if we abandon our net zero commitments.
>> Also read: Industry leaders attack lack of retrofit focus in ‘supply-side’ energy strategy
>> From the archive: On a mission: Gillian Charlesworth talks plans for BRE Group
“We strongly believe that, for the UK to have a resilient economy and a prosperous future, we must continue to act on climate change – and central to this should be driving a green transition in the built environment.”
She said local authorities should be at the heart of any programme and that plans should include cost-effective solutions such as insulation and make clear how the hundreds of thousands of workers necessary would be trained.
Truss vs Sunak on…
Housing
Sunak: Ban development on green belt land, stop local authorities from changing green belt boundaries
Truss: Abandon 300,000 homes a year target, set up new ‘investment zones’ in deprived areas
Infrastructure
Sunak: Backed plan which includes full construction of NPR and rebalancing regional government infrastructure budgets
Truss: Build NPR in full, possibly build Leeds metro system, build M4 road in Wales, speed up infrastructure projects
Net zero
Sunak: Prioritise retrofit over heat pumps, make UK energy self-sufficient by 2045, set up new energy department
Truss: Moratorium on green levy, new biodiversity target, more nuclear power stations
Her letter argues this should include cost-effective solutions such as insulation that will reduce demand for natural gas, address spiralling energy bills and, ultimately, make Britain’s homes fit for the future. The latest forecast to come out this week has said energy bills for a typical household could hit £4,266 next year.
“Setting out a clear, long-term strategy to retrofit the UK’s buildings will not only ensure we continue to deliver the Net Zero Strategy, but it will also bolster our energy security by lowering demand for natural gas,” she added.
“Decarbonising our homes and buildings is a priority which we cannot afford to ignore, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Government to support the UK on its path to net zero.”
An open letter from Gillian Charlesworth – CEO of the Building Research Establishment (BRE) – to the Conservative leadership candidates
As Chief Executive of BRE, the UK’s foremost centre for driving positive change in the built environment, I am compelled to reiterate the importance of decarbonising Britain’s buildings. At present, heat and
energy use in our buildings makes up a quarter of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions and tackling this will be crucial to reaching net zero by 2050. This is why we urge you, as candidates to become the country’s next Prime Minister, to publish credible and effective plans to decarbonise our homes and buildings.
This year has been tough for our economy, and it will become tougher still as cost-of-living pressures and macroeconomic conditions worsen. However, we will be sentencing families, businesses, and communities to an even more costly and bleak future if we abandon our net zero commitments. We strongly believe that, for the UK to have a resilient economy and a prosperous future, we must continue to act on climate change – and central to this should be driving a green transition in the built environment.
While an increased focus on investment in renewable energy is welcome, the Government’s current plans do not go far enough to address two of the biggest issues we currently face: tackling rising energy costs and decarbonising the built environment. The crisis in global energy prices can be quickly and effectively alleviated by improving the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings.
For this reason, we are calling on candidates to reaffirm their commitment to tackling climate change and reaching net zero by 2050, by setting out a fully funded national retrofit strategy to roll out efficiency measures to all UK households. This should include cost-effective solutions such as insulation that will reduce demand for natural gas, address spiralling energy bills and, ultimately, make Britain’s homes fit for the future.
Local authorities will be at the heart of this strategy – delivering change in their areas and enforcing new regulations – and it is vital that they are adequately resourced to do so. The future Government must also set out clear directives on how to train, or retrain, the hundreds of thousands of workers required to retrofit the UK’s 29 million homes.
The need to roll out and invest in retrofit measures extends beyond housing. With nearly a fifth of all gas being consumed by the non-domestic sector, a lack of any retrofit strategy will result in higher costs for our businesses and public infrastructure – with these costs also being fed down to households.
Setting out a clear, long-term strategy to retrofit the UK’s buildings will not only ensure we continue to deliver the Net Zero Strategy, but it will also bolster our energy security by lowering demand for natural gas.
Decarbonising our homes and buildings is a priority which we cannot afford to ignore, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Government to support the UK on its path to net zero.
Yours sincerely,
Gillian Charlesworth
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