Porritt welcomes industry’s new-build zero carbon group

The Low and Zero Carbon Buildings Technology Group will also look at ways to achieve a 60% cut in carbon emissions in existing buildings.

Jonathon Porritt, chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission and speaker at the association’s lunch, welcomed the group: “Climate change is a challenge that has to be addressed with urgency and clear, consistent policy interventions from government.”

The group will be chaired by Neil Schofield, of BBT Thermo Technologies. It has already won the backing of senior members of the construction industry.

It will be charged with encouraging the development of technologies to deliver more sustainable construction, and fits in with Building’s 99% campaign.

John Colley, the president of the association, said: “We need to disconnect the timetable for higher new-build standards from the more immediate returns we can get from saving carbon across existing building stock.”