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Carbon emissions priority in Budget
The National House Building Council (NHBC), the leading authority and expert on new home construction in the UK, has welcomed the commitment by the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to target all new construction in the drive to reduce the UK's carbon emissions.
Imtiaz Farookhi, chief executive at the NHBC, said: “The decision by the Chancellor to target all new buildings to be zero carbon from 2019 is to be highly commended.
So to should the decision to provide "pump-prime" funding for a 2016 delivery unit to guide, monitor and co-ordinate the zero carbon programme, which we have long said is needed to develop a framework to move this agenda forwards.
“NHBC's independent research institution, the NHBC Foundation, has just completed a major body of work involving extensive interviews with homeowners and builders to gauge awareness, understanding and attitudes towards zero carbon housing and sustainable living.
“Importantly this work underlines how fundamental the views of consumers will be to achieving the government's ambitions on zero carbon housing.
“Existing housing stock also has a part to play in driving down carbon emissions and this is why is it pleasing the Chancellor has outlined a significant programme of spending to make existing homes more energy efficient through the use of tried and tested technologies including cavity wall and loft insulation.
“The Foundation's research has highlighted the need for zero carbon measures to be based on sound science and safe technologies and using these methods to reduce carbon emissions in existing stock is welcome,” Mr Farookhi added.
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), chief executive Gideon Amos said: “The Chancellor's commitment to consider taking the target for carbon emissions reductions from 60 per cent to 80 per cent is welcome.
"As is the Budget news that 70,000 new homes will now be accommodated on surplus public land, in part through better long term planning. This reinforces the Prime Minister's repeated commitment to delivering three million homes.
“New homes, however, must add something to the environmental as well as to the economic balance sheet - promises to increase renewable energy must include a feed-in tariff that would guarantee a premium price for electricity to householders and businesses who generate their own energy.
"Getting to grips with the zero carbon housing challenge will be needed very soon, and the plans for new eco-towns are due to be published in the near future,” Mr Amos went on to say.
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