Planning, building and the environment

Zero Carbon Homes

We recognise that the 2016 zero carbon homes target set out in Building a Greener Future: policy statement is challenging, so the Department has established the 2016 Taskforce, jointly led by Caroline Flint, Minister for Housing, and Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman for the Home Builders Federation. The Taskforce is charged with identifying the 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.

Heat

Almost half of all UK's CO2 emissions arise from the use of heat. That is energy used for space and water heating, industrial process heating, industrial drying and similar purposes. Therefore, if we are to deliver long-term reductions in carbon emissions we have to look at heat.

On 31 January 2008 the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) along with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Communities and Local Government published the Heat Call for Evidence. BERR, Defra and Communities and Local Government invites comments on the issues set out in the Call for Evidence (external link). The deadline for responses is 31 March 2008.

This Call for Evidence is an important next step in developing our strategy for heat. The document sets out our understanding of the opportunities and prospects for renewable heat and some of the barriers that prevent the greater use of renewable heat. It asks for views about the technologies available to us - which offer the most efficient and practical contribution to achieving our aim and in which specific scenarios. It seeks views on whether we need new incentives to stimulate the development of renewable heat; what form they might take; and which options provide the most cost-effective solutions.

Planning and Climate Change

On 13 December 2006, the Department launched a consultation on the draft of a new Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change. The draft PPS sets out how planning, in providing for the new homes, jobs and infrastructure needed by communities, should help shape places with lower carbon emissions and resilient to the climate change now accepted as inevitable. The original consultation, along with a report analysing consultation responses, which showed significant support overall for our proposals, is available at Planning Policy Statement consultation. We will be moving quickly to finalise the PPS, in light of the consultation responses, and the supporting practice guide.