A group of more than 50 business leaders in the United Kingdom have called on the government to set a goal of mandating zero-carbon buildings by 2030.
The goal would be to reduce all energy use as far as technically possible, with the remaining energy demand to be met through renewables. The letter making the recommendation was signed by a wide range of investors, property developers, manufacturers, and construction industry executives.
The letter says that U.K. buildings currently contribute 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions and that reducing this number can help meet the commitments of the Paris climate agreement. The construction and property sector “stands ready to deliver on bold targets for energy performance and low carbon solutions,” according to the document.
The head of the U.K. Green Business Council says that there have not been changes to Building Regulations since 2014, and that the scrapping of the zero carbon policy in 2015 was both “confusing and unnecessary.”
Related Stories
| Aug 2, 2013
Texas law expected to help reduce construction payroll fraud
Texas lawmakers want to get tough on construction companies that commit a certain form of payroll fraud, passing a new law recently signed by Gov. Rick Perry.
| Aug 2, 2013
Surveys show parking space requirements far in excess of what is necessary
Officials in the Northwest’s large metropolitan areas have sent survey takers out at night through apartment and condominium lots and garages, recording empty and full spaces, and comparing their tallies with the number of apartments.
| Aug 2, 2013
Netherlands Institute of Ecology built to zero waste principles
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology was designed and built to be the most sustainable building in Holland and incorporate the zero waste principles of Cradle-to-Cradle design.
| Aug 2, 2013
Threat of more powerful coastal storms could curtail development
Led by Stanford University’s Natural Capital Project, researchers mapped the intensity of hazards posed to communities living along America’s coastlines from rising seas and ferocious storms now and in the decades to come.
| Jul 26, 2013
AGC launches new coalition to help bring tax relief to construction sector
Associated General Contractor of America (AGC) has launched the Coalition for Fair Effective Tax Rates to bring tax relief to the construction sector.
| Jul 26, 2013
Legislation would revamp federal contracting policy impacting small design and construction firms
Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representative this month to ban reverse auctions when an agency determines small businesses are qualified to bid on the solicitation.
| Jul 26, 2013
Detroit’s problems may make blue infrastructure codes more likely
The City of Detroit’s financial problems may make it more likely to adopt blue infrastructure standards.
| Jul 26, 2013
Cities should reconsider rooming houses to build affordable housing stock, says expert
Building codes have effectively outlawed the bottom end of the private housing market, driving up rents on everything above it, argues the Sightline Institute's Alan Durning.
| Jul 17, 2013
WorldGBC, IFC pledge to rapidly scale up green construction in emerging markets
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) are collaborating to rapidly scale up the construction of green buildings in emerging markets.
| Jul 17, 2013
Louisiana governor signs $250 million bill for 29 community college projects
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law this month a bill that provides $251.6 million for 29 projects at Louisiana Community and Technical College campuses.
