The UK government has been making a lot of bold claims in recent years about their intention to reach a net-zero carbon emission position by the year 2030. This is a noble objective and one that we need to get behind if we are to make an indelible impact on long-term climate change.
In an attempt to do this, the government has recently rolled out several new building regulations that are starting to come into play. These mandate a 30% carbon emissions reduction in new buildings from 2025 and a 27% reduction in existing buildings. On the face of it, this seems to represent real tangible progress but if you look a bit deeper into the details, you quickly begin to realise that the methodologies with which the regulations are due to be enforced tend to whittle down the impact significantly and it might actually represent a step backwards.
As a sector, we should be looking to take things further than what is legally mandated. The decarbonisation agenda is ours to debate and implement for the good of our industry’s sustainability and for the service we offer to our various stakeholders. As we strive to provide decent homes for residents, this is a key piece of the equation. It’s not enough to see the NetZero ideal as a cost of doing business – it needs to become a key principle that we build the future of our industry on. By changing our paradigm, we have an opportunity to lead the way and show our residents, investors, and partners that we take the mission seriously.
This won’t happen overnight, but with some concerted effort to change the status quo and by learning from the GreenTech revolution that is sweeping the globe, we can transform the direction of our industry and leave it in a much better position than we found it, for the good of the next generation.
To discuss this all-important issue and what we can do about it, we are hosting a roundtable discussion for the affordable housing sector and wider society at large on the 27th of January. Bunmi Atta, the Director of Construction for Optivo will moderate a fascinating discussion featuring three extremely experienced speakers:
- James Caspell FCIH, Neighbourhood Director for Lancaster West and Grenfell Housing, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea;
- Gareth Dauley, Former Executive Vice President of Pacific Green Technologies Inc; and
- Sam Monger, Director of Special Projects at the Grosvenor Group.
This event is well positioned to examine how resident-led collaboration, out-of-sector learnings, and green housing innovation can combine to drive towards a more sustainable industry in all its facets. We’ll hear from our esteemed panel about their views and ideas for the future, but we’ll also tackle some of the misconceptions that tend to get in the way of true progress. We have no doubt that there will be some vibrant debate and we hope that you’ll join us to lend your voice.
Register now to grab your virtual seat and let’s all work together to maximise outcomes on the road to NetZero.
