Brenda Boardman's 'Home Truth' Report
The Low-carbon Strategy from the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University identifies the policies needed to deliver an 80 per cent cut in carbon emissions from UK homes by 2050. These cuts are achievable but will require a quantum leap in commitment from Government and a radical new approach. The policies have been designed not only to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, but also to be delivered equitably. The poorest households will be prioritised for assistance and fuel poverty will be wiped out. The scientific consensus is that for the UK to play its part in helping the world avoid a rise of more than 2°C, we must reduce our carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The household sector represents 27 per cent of our total emissions and achieving deep cuts here is an imperative. The low-carbon revolution starts at home.
Policy failures
It’s time for some home truths. Since this Government came to power in 1997 carbon emissions from UK homes have risen by more than 5 per cent. This has occurred despite powerful Government rhetoric about reducing emissions, and a plethora of initiatives including two Energy White Papers, a Climate Change Programme, an Energy Review, the Stern Review and five pieces of legislation. The Government’s projection for the residential sector represents an 11-18 per cent carbon reduction by 2020 from 1990 levels. In the absence of essential details, there can only be limited confidence in the proposed policies to deliver within this range. Even so, these savings are an insufficient contribution from homes, if the UK is going to be on target to reduce its carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, let alone 80 per cent. Furthermore the Government’s policy approach is shortterm. There are no proposals for how the 2050 target for carbon reductions will be achieved in households. Yet there is no shortage of opportunities. A total of 17 million homes have cavity walls, but over half are still unfilled, despite this being an inexpensive measure that makes the home much more comfortable. Despite the existence of a few much trumpeted policies, the rate of improvement in the energy efficiency of the general housing stock is largely dependent upon the initiatives of the occupiers, with little assistance from Government. At the moment it is neither cheap nor easy to make your home low carbon. The Government has even failed to protect the most disadvantaged. Although the number of fuel poor initially fell under New Labour, the number of households in fuel poverty in the UK has doubled to 4 million since 2002. The Government is facing a rising challenge in tackling household emissions. Due to increasing population and falling household size, by 2050 there could be 23 per cent more households and, if nothing else changed, a 23 per cent increase in energy consumption. Electricity use in light and appliances rises inexorably. The Government has provided limited support for the roll out of low- and zero-carbon (LZC) technologies, including micro-generation and community combined heat and power systems (CHP). This is an area where a seismic shift in policy is needed. There are few LZC installations in the UK: about 107,000 in the domestic sector in 2005,including community-scale CHP. No more than four out of every 1,000 homes have any LZC technologies with only £18 million currently available in Government grants for UK households.
New versus old homes
The Government has given serious attention to emissions from new homes in England and this is welcomed. It has set a goal of all new homes being zero carbon by 2016. However, the 2 million homes that will be constructed between now and 2016 will lead to 1.7 million tonnnes of carbon (MtC) additional emissions for England alone. Wales has set a target for all new build to be zero-carbon by 2011 and this should also apply in England. Of the homes we will inhabit in 2050, around 80 per cent are already standing today and these have to be the main focus for carbon-reduction policies. The Government has comprehensively failed to set out effective policies to significantly reduce emissions from the homes we already live in.
The Low-carbon Strategy
Home Truths offers a way forward. It reveals that not only is an 80 per cent cut in household emissions achievable, but it can be done in an equitable and fair way that wipes out fuel poverty and enables every UK citizen to live in a warm, comfortable home. Our quality of life will be enhanced.
Everyone stands to gain. The vision is as follows:
The low-carbon house: Every household has excellent insulation. Every household has a solar installation. The individual is warmer, has more hot water and can even have more appliances than now. No household spends more than 10 per cent of its income on energy.
The benefits: Carbon emissions are cut, national energy security is increased; homes provide a healthier environment; there are significantly increased employment and business opportunities. Fuel poverty has disappeared.
The approach: Market transformation is the strategic approach recommended. It combines tough minimum energy standards for homes, lighting and appliances; regulation of utilities; generous fi nancial support through grants, funding and the reform of energy tariffs; and much greater information for the consumer. Market transformation sets a long-term policy framework and recognises that combinations of policies are the most effective. There are more than 40 individual policy recommendations.