Housebuilders: zero carbon goal will not be met

Housebuilders fear they will not meet zero carbon goals by 2016 because of challenges accessing renewable energy sources and a lack of information, a new survey shows.

Inbuilt polled seven major housebuilders in the UK who warned that unrecoverable costs, lack of reliable technology, the supply chain, skills and expertise cast doubt on their ability to meet emission targets.

David Strong chief executive of Inbuilt said the survey showed that the government needed to simplify its definition of zero carbon and let builders access offsite renewable electricity.

He said: “Consequently, when we asked the $64m question about whether the housebuilding industry can actually deliver under the existing rules, there was a mixed and mostly pessimistic view – from ‘yes, but…’ to ‘very unlikely’ and ‘extremely difficult’, with one outright ‘no’.”

Most housebuilders felt the Treasury’s definition of zero carbon for stamp duty relief purposes was inadequate and that stamp duty relief for home owners was of no use to housebuilders facing increased build costs.

Strong added: “There is clearly a risk that some housebuilders are seizing the first technical solution they can afford, rather than taking the long-term view or considering the broader sustainability implications of their decisions. This could lead them into technical cul-de-sacs which cost a fortune to back out of later on.”