Goal of zero-carbon for all new housing is still achievable, claims body

The UK Green Building Council has said that zero-carbon for all new housing by 2016 should still be a government target. It was reacting against calls to scrap the goal by the RICS last week.

“This is not the time to scrap the zero-carbon target,” a spokesman told an architectural magazine. “The whole point of setting out the future direction of the Building Regulations is to drive innovation and bring down the cost of zero-carbon solutions. The 2016 target is tough, but still achievable.”

The RICS had previously called on the government to rethink its unrealistic target, in response to the consultation on the definition of zero-carbon homes and non-domestic buildings, which began at the end of 2008. It claimed only a 70% reduction of emissions in all new homes is achievable by 2016.

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