A new delivery hub to oversee sector-wide climate and environmental roadmap for high quality homes and places.
Leading home builders have committed alongside supply sectors, regulators and environmental groups to a sector-wide delivery plan for meeting climate, nature and the wider environmental targets set by Government.
The plan, agreed through the Future Homes Task Force – which comprises leading figures from the relevant home building, supply chain, skills, environmental, planning, academic, infrastructure, utilities and regulator communities, and through collaboration with the Government – includes headline goals to deliver:
- high quality homes that are zero carbon ready and sustainable by 2025, with early investigation of the steps beyond;
- places and developments that are consistently low carbon, nature rich, resilient healthy, well-designed and beautiful by 2025;
- production and construction methods that are net zero and sustainable by 2050, with substantial progress by 2025 and 2030;
- businesses operations in line with the Race to Zero: net zero by 2050 with a 50% reduction by 2030
These goals are supported by more detailed commitments and roadmaps in the summary delivery plan.
Neil Jefferson, Co-chair of the Task Force said: “The Government has set out a clear legal framework for tackling climate change and restoring the natural world. Meeting these targets means a wholesale change in how we design and build homes for future generations. This is a challenge we are committed to tackling head on. Today’s launch sees the sector taking leadership of the agenda. The broad range of stakeholders involved will hold each other to account and ensure we deliver on this vital agenda as quickly and effectively as is possible. We want to ensure that we build on the huge progress made so far and deliver world leading, environmentally friendly, high quality housing.”
Housing Secretary RT Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: “As we drive forward our plan for the UK to meet its 2050 net zero target, we are determined to improve the energy efficiency of our homes and reduce carbon emissions in a way that is fair and affordable to everyone. I welcome the work of the Future Homes Task Force, which has brought together leaders across the fields that contribute to and influence homebuilding and has created this roadmap for meeting these challenges. It is right that the industry is stepping up to play a leadership role here: delivery and innovation to meet the challenges requires common purpose and partnerships that are being formed. The Delivery Hub will provide support across industry to ensure successful implementation of the Future Homes Standard.”
To drive and oversee the plan the new delivery Hub will be launched in September 2021. The roadmap approach and the new Hub will have a particular focus on helping SME businesses, by providing them with sufficient time, advice and support, to develop the people and processes necessary to enable them to deliver on environmental goals.
Rachael Whelan, Land & Sustainability Director, Archway Homes, a SME house builder operating in the North West said: “In a world where our environmental agenda is becoming increasingly important to our future, the Future Homes Task Force has provided an excellent forum for key organisations to collaborate and define the roadmap for our housing industry. I am very proud to have been a part of this process and Archway Homes, having already taken the decision to build all our houses to EPC A rating, is very much committed to this agenda and taking our houses forward to the Future Homes Standard for the benefit of our customers and future generations.”
The net zero elements of the plan are reflected within a wider construction performance framework, announced last week under the Construction Leadership Council’s CO2nstructzero programme.
