While the SEA welcomed the monumental shift in the UK Government’s focus, with net zero placed firmly on the policy agenda, there is still much to overcome to help us to realise this vision.
The Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) has released a new report entitled What next for heat and buildings policy outlining the remaining policy gaps and makes recommendations for what the Government should do to address them.
Four core areas needing focus
It identifies four core areas of focus and makes several recommendations – highlighting what must be done to achieve the ambitious target of the UK becoming net zero by 2050 and delivering buildings fit for the future.
- Address the able to pay sector as this key stakeholder group is crucial to facilitate the movement away from a heavy reliance on Government funding into an independent retrofit market which is self-sufficient and delivers at scale.
- Tackle the lack of consumer and supply chain knowledge and skills of low-carbon technologies compared to traditional fossil fuel heating systems. The Government must ensure there is a competent workforce capable of designing, building, and retrofitting to deliver energy efficient, net zero carbon, healthy homes, and buildings.
- The SEA advocates a fabric first, technology agnostic approach. Therefore, low-carbon technologies, and energy efficiency measures that meet the space and water heating demands of the building in question and lead to the right outcomes, should be supported by Government schemes.
- The Government and industry must work together to form a definitive National Retrofit Strategy, setting out the policies and programmes required to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings, with realistic timescales for implementation, and which places energy efficiency at the heart of the UK’s net zero target.
Eliminating fuel poverty
“The SEA is committed to eliminating fuel poverty and ensuring all homes are energy efficient, net zero-carbon, warm and healthy. As the first major country to pass net zero emissions law, the UK government has a unique opportunity to demonstrate how a nation can do it correctly. We would welcome collaborating with the Government and key industry stakeholders to develop the next phase of policy and help deliver homes and buildings fit for future generations,” said Jade Lewis, chief executive of the Sustainable Energy Association.