UKGBC calls on next government to invest £64bn in retrofitting 

The next government must commit to a step-change in investment in home insulation and introduce a range of game-changing policies aimed at reimagining and renewing commercial property, the UK Green Building Council has urged. Launching its policy manifesto for the next general election, the UKGBC has called on the next UK government to seize the opportunity to upgrade homes, offices and public spaces in order to tackle some of the UK’s most intractable problems, from soaring energy, housing and health costs, to left-behind and vulnerable communities, and climate and nature breakdown.  At the heart of the manifesto is a call for a £64bn programme of national government investment over the next decade on retrofit to bring down energy bills, reduce carbon emissions and create 140,000 skilled jobs.   The UKGBC said the investment would save £60bn in grid upgrade costs over 10 years, as well as saving £22bn for the NHS over the same period. A further £9bn will be cut from household energy bills, saving the average household £300 per year, it said. As part of a national retrofit programme, the manifesto also calls for the introduction of an Energy Saving Stamp Duty that incentivises homeowners to make sustainable upgrades to their homes, driving a long-term mass-scale sustainable market for measures such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels.  Other key policy asks in the manifesto include:  a requirement on landlords to upgrade homes to EPC C by 2030;  the modernisation of the planning system so every decision supports our national nature and climate goals; the introduction of stronger building standards to drive down energy bills and climate emissions and drive up quality; the introduction of restrictions on the upfront embodied carbon emissions from constructing new buildings;  a prioritisation of climate protection with a funded national plan and Cabinet Office oversight  the modernisation of the Landlord and Tenant Act to drive uptake in green leases for commercial real estate; and the requirement of owners to upgrade large commercial buildings to EPC B by 2030. Louise Hutchins, head of policy at the UKGBC, said: “Reimagining and renewing the places we live, work and play is one of the best ways for an incoming government to tackle some of the country’s most palpable crises — from soaring energy, housing and health costs, to hollowed-out town centres, communities repeatedly hit by flooding and overheating, and the breakdown of our climate and nature. “The built environment industry stands ready to help as an active partner, but any government wanting to show big tangible improvements will need to put their shoulder behind a much bolder approach than we’ve seen up to now. That means leadership from the top, comprehensive long-term strategies that communities and investors can get behind and a step-change in government investment surgically targeted where it’s most needed.” Image © Vivint Solar/Unsplash