Target Zero

Climate Change Legislation

The UK Government has committed the country to one of the most ambitious Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction targets in the world, via the 2008 Climate Change Act.

This legislation makes the Government’s long-term goal of an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, compared to a 1990 base, a legally binding objective.

The Scottish Government has set similar targets with an ambition of a 42% reduction by 2020 in the 2009 Climate Change (Scotland) Act. In common with UK government aspirations, the new act also commits Scotland to an 80% reduction on 1990 levels by 2050.

Building Regulations and Directives

Another driver for Green House Gas (GHG) reduction is the EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive. This has the objective of reducing EU CO2 production by 45 million tonnes by 2010.

In July 2007 the Government’s Building a Greener Future: Policy Statement announced that all new homes would be zero carbon from 2016.

In December 2008 the Government published Definition of Zero Carbon Homes and Non-Domestic Buildings: Consultation which proposed an approach (accepted in July 2009) based on:

1. Improved energy efficiency
2. A minimum level of carbon reduction to be achieved by the use of on-site (or near-site) Low and Zero Carbon (LZC) Technologies
3. ‘Allowable solutions’ (for example, off-site renewable electricity via direct physical connection, and exports of low carbon or renewable heat to surrounding developments) as a final step to enable zero carbon to be reached In the 2008 Budget the Government also announced its ambition that all new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon from 2019 (with earlier targets for schools and other public buildings).

The timescale and intermediate targets for zero carbon in buildings will be set via changes to Approved Document L. The proposed reductions in allowable energy use for new dwellings are:

• 25% better than 2006 by 2010
• 44% better than 2006 by 2013
• Zero carbon by 2016

The 2010 and 2013 improvements refer only to regulated energy use.

For dwellings the Government has recently confirmed that the definition of zero carbon will be set at 70% of regulated emissions. The use of energy efficiency and Low and Zero Carbon technologies will be paramount to achieve this. The remaining regulated, plus unregulated energy use will be dealt with by the use of allowable solutions.