Warning that Wales is falling behind on energy efficiency for new homes
The Welsh Government has confirmed [1] that new homes in Wales won’t be required to be ‘zero carbon’ until 2021, five years after the highest energy efficiency standard should have been reached in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland [2].
The government’s plans for energy efficiency improvements for new buildings had already fallen from 40% in 2012, to just 8% in 2013.
Environment charity Friends of the Earth Cymru has condemned this further downgrading of the Welsh Government’s once ambitious energy efficiency policy [4], saying it will be bad for Welsh business, as well as for the environment.
“Even as our fuel bills constantly rise, and concerns about the impact of climate change are increasing worldwide, the Welsh Government is busily doing everything it can to delay action on energy efficiency for new housing,” said Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru.
“But this isn’t just Wales failing to make sufficient headway in tackling climate change. This u-turn on energy efficiency will also be devastating for Welsh companies, as English builders will have five years in which to perfect skills for building zero-carbon homes before these high standards are adopted in Wales.
“By 2021, our construction companies will be at a huge disadvantage in competing for work against their English competitors. This declaration isn’t just bad news for the Welsh environment, it’s bad news for Welsh businesses.”
NOTES
1. Energy Wales: A low carbon transition delivery plan http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/publications/140314energy-wales-delivery-plan-en.pdf “Welsh Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the recast European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings 2010 (EPBD); we are doing this through the Building Regulations to ensure that new buildings should be ‘zero carbon’ and ‘nearly zero energy’ by 2019 for public buildings and 2021 for all other buildings”.
2. See “zero carbon in Scotland and Northern Ireland” http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/resources/reports/Zero_Carbon_Homes_Introductory_Guide_for_House_Builders_(NF14).pdf
3. The Building Regulations consultation document of July 2012 states “New homes are already required to deliver beyond Part L 2010 standards. Our national planning for sustainable building policy expects all new homes seeking planning permission to achieve an overall minimum Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) level 3 with higher levels for both energy efficiency and CO2 emissions (expressed through a minimum number of energy/CO2 ‘credits’). Over the build mix it is estimated that this results in an 8% improvement of CO2 emissions on Part L 2010”. http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/consultation/120924buildingregspartlpart1en.pdf
The Cabinet Statement of July 2013 announcing the new Building Regulations states “I have concluded that I will introduce, through amendments to Part L, a requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8% from 2010 levels”. http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2013/partlbuildingregs/?lang=en
4. See http://www.foe.co.uk/cymru/english/press_releases/Welsh_Government_capitulates_to_house_building_industry_180713.html
The government’s plans for energy efficiency improvements for new buildings had already fallen from 40% in 2012, to just 8% in 2013.
Environment charity Friends of the Earth Cymru has condemned this further downgrading of the Welsh Government’s once ambitious energy efficiency policy [4], saying it will be bad for Welsh business, as well as for the environment.
“Even as our fuel bills constantly rise, and concerns about the impact of climate change are increasing worldwide, the Welsh Government is busily doing everything it can to delay action on energy efficiency for new housing,” said Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru.
“But this isn’t just Wales failing to make sufficient headway in tackling climate change. This u-turn on energy efficiency will also be devastating for Welsh companies, as English builders will have five years in which to perfect skills for building zero-carbon homes before these high standards are adopted in Wales.
“By 2021, our construction companies will be at a huge disadvantage in competing for work against their English competitors. This declaration isn’t just bad news for the Welsh environment, it’s bad news for Welsh businesses.”
NOTES
1. Energy Wales: A low carbon transition delivery plan http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/publications/140314energy-wales-delivery-plan-en.pdf “Welsh Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the recast European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings 2010 (EPBD); we are doing this through the Building Regulations to ensure that new buildings should be ‘zero carbon’ and ‘nearly zero energy’ by 2019 for public buildings and 2021 for all other buildings”.
2. See “zero carbon in Scotland and Northern Ireland” http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/resources/reports/Zero_Carbon_Homes_Introductory_Guide_for_House_Builders_(NF14).pdf
3. The Building Regulations consultation document of July 2012 states “New homes are already required to deliver beyond Part L 2010 standards. Our national planning for sustainable building policy expects all new homes seeking planning permission to achieve an overall minimum Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) level 3 with higher levels for both energy efficiency and CO2 emissions (expressed through a minimum number of energy/CO2 ‘credits’). Over the build mix it is estimated that this results in an 8% improvement of CO2 emissions on Part L 2010”. http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/consultation/120924buildingregspartlpart1en.pdf
The Cabinet Statement of July 2013 announcing the new Building Regulations states “I have concluded that I will introduce, through amendments to Part L, a requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8% from 2010 levels”. http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2013/partlbuildingregs/?lang=en
4. See http://www.foe.co.uk/cymru/english/press_releases/Welsh_Government_capitulates_to_house_building_industry_180713.html
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