This is an opportunity for the UK government to lay the foundations for the construction industry to reduce the carbon embedded in building homes, save emissions from the use-phase through energy efficiency and, vitally, make these new houses more pleasant to live in and cheaper to run.

The reality is that the UK’s Net Zero by 2050 plans will be put off track if the carbon impact isn’t factored into house building on such a scale. It is also a matter of having homes that will still be fit for purpose in 2050 and beyond. 
 

Start as you mean to go on

The ability to influence the amount of whole-life carbon linked to a housing development — or any construction project for that matter — is greater the earlier in the delivery process you are.

Actively engaging with and recognising suppliers in the construction value chain who make meaningful progress is essential to building momentum in reducing embodied carbon.

Throughout the process there are opportunities to reduce emissions:

• Advancing innovations to close the emissions gap in the use of concrete through carbon-sequestering concrete, or near zero carbon cement
• Identifying lower carbon materials and engaging with supply chains to collaborate on reducing emissions intensity of existing materials
• Incorporating new ways of working to design and build more efficiently
• Exploring Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), including factory-based, modular buildings; pre-fabrication of foundations and roof structures; and using timber frames
• Connecting sites to the grid as early as possible so that developments can rely more on electricity, with clean energy from renewables accounting for 42% of the UK’s electricity mix in 2022 and increasing year on year
   

Housing policy can drive climate action 

For Net Zero to be a realistic target for housing in the UK, energy efficient technologies and solutions must be accessible to all. With new homes, costs can largely be absorbed into the build budget — and this should absolutely be the case for the UK when planning to build 1.5 million new homes. 

The Future Homes Standard could be a significant step in bringing house building and sustainability under one roof. It aims to ensure that new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes built under the current Building Regulations. This will be achieved through improvements in technology in areas such as heating and hot water provision. These energy savings factored over 1.5 million homes will have a large part to play for keeping the UK’s Net Zero plans on track. 

Policies are also needed that will encourage homeowners and landlords to adopt retrofit and low carbon measures to avoid locking out people who cannot afford them. The £3.4bn funding confirmed by the Chancellor for the Warm Homes Plan for energy efficiency upgrades and heat decarbonisation is a good start. 

Prior to the budget, the government also committed to consult by the end of the year on boosting minimum energy efficiency standards for private and social rented homes by 2030, accounting for over a third of all homes. This should close a loophole where renters have no right or access to energy efficient technologies that on top of reducing use-phase emissions, ultimately make homes more pleasant to be in.
 

Heat pumps are a quick win

Installing a heat pump is the most effective measure that can reduce the in-use emissions of a new or existing home. The MCS Foundation reported nearly 40,000 MCS certified installations in 2023 — a record for the UK. It is no coincidence this overlapped with the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant to support the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers rising from £5000 to £7500. Applications went up by 50%.

This is real progress backed by effective policy. However, progress will need to grow exponentially to meet the target of 600,000 heat pumps in 2028. 
 

House building and Net Zero are inextricably linked

Building 1.5 million new homes sustainably will help to keep the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target on track and bring huge societal benefits. Retrofitting existing houses is vital too, given that around 80% of the buildings we have today globally will still be in use in 2050.

What the UK government can do is set the tone through policies that rapidly accelerate the progress that is already happening in crucial areas of construction like decarbonising cement and installing heat pumps. 

The construction industry has a significant part to play in bringing these policies to life. Through collaboration across the value chain, innovative solutions can be devised to bring down the embodied carbon of developments and build houses that are smarter, more efficient and resilient. It is time for the UK, and its construction industry, to embrace that house building and Net Zero are inextricably linked.