Communities and Local Government

• Planning, building and the environment
• The Environment
• Zero Carbon Homes

Planning, building and the environment

Zero Carbon Homes

In July 2007, following consultation, the Government's Building A Greener Future: Policy Statement announced that all new homes will be zero carbon from 2016.

In December 2008 the Government published Definition of Zero Carbon Homes and Non-Domestic Buildings: Consultation consulting on the definition of zero carbon homes and in particular an approach based on:

• high levels of energy efficiency in the fabric of the home
• a minimum level of carbon reduction to be achieved onsite or through directly connected heat; and
• a list of (mainly offsite) allowable solutions for dealing with the remaining emissions (including from appliances)

In Budget 2008, the Government also announced its ambition that all new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon from 2019 (with earlier targets for schools and other public buildings). Pending in depth consultation in 2009, the Government's thinking on zero carbon non-domestic buildings is set out in Definition of Zero Carbon Homes and Non-Domestic Buildings: Consultation.

The Department has established the 2016 Taskforce, jointly led by Rt Hon Margaret Beckett, Minister of Housing and Planning and Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman for the Home Builders Federation to identify barriers to implementation of the zero carbon 2016 target and putting in place measures to overcome them. Further information can be found on the Taskforce webpage (see link on right).

The Government is also supporting the Zero Carbon Hub, an industry-led delivery body formed to take forward practical delivery of the zero carbon homes policy. The Hub is holding, in February 2009, a series of events to support the consultation on the definition of zero carbon homes (see link on right).

Related publications

• Costs and Benefits of Alternative Definitions of Zero Carbon Homes: Project report

  • Published: 26 February 2009
  • Site: Planning, building and the environment

• Definition of Zero Carbon Homes and Non-Domestic Buildings: Consultation

  • Published: 17 December 2008
  • Closing date: 18 March 2009
  • Site: Planning, building and the environment

• Definition of Zero Carbon Homes: Impact Assessment

  • Published: 17 December 2008
  • Site: Planning, building and the environment

• Research to Assess the Cost and Benefits of the Government's Proposals to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of New Housing Development

  • Published: 8 September 2008
  • Site: Planning, building and the environment

• Building a Greener Future: policy statement

  • Published: 23 July 2007
  • Site: Planning, building and the environment

• Final Regulatory Impact Assessment: Building a Greener Future

  • Published: 23 July 2007
  • Site: Planning, building and the environment

• Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development - Consultation

  • Published: 13 December 2006
  • Closing date: 8 March 2007
  • Site: Planning, building and the environment