Supporters of the zero carbon homes standard have been boosted after the House of Lords defeated the government by 48 votes over an amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill.
The amendment seeks to reintroduce the on-site carbon compliance standard – or zero carbon homes standard – that the government scrapped last July.
At the time, CIOB senior policy and public affairs manager, Eddie Tuttle, said: “Stripping back housing standards sacrifices build quality and means occupiers of these homes will be spending more money and emitting more CO2 emissions.”
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The Lords amendment calls on the government to ensure “all new homes in England built from 1 April 2018 achieve the carbon compliance standard”.
The Bill will now go back to the Commons.
The UK Green Building Council said it would lobby MPs to support the amendment.
CEO Julie Hirigoyen said: “This has a long way to go, but it demonstrates there is still Parliamentary support for zero carbon homes, to match support from progressive voices in business.
“During the 10 years prior to July 2015, the leading players spanning the housebuilding industry – developers, product manufacturers, contractors and engineers – got behind zero carbon homes, investing heavily and innovating to make it a reality. The unexpected and unwanted scrapping of the policy made a mockery of the government’s green credentials, and showed disregard for the nation’s new homes and the industry’s investment.
“Having supported the Paris climate agreement with much fanfare, cutting carbon from new homes and buildings will be vital to achieving our commitments. Re-introducing the zero carbon homes standard would be a clear next step on this journey, and would provide the certainty the industry needs to continue investing in new skills and technologies.”
