Guidance to help industry respond to the zero carbon challenge
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper today called on developers to refocus their efforts to deliver the eco homes of the future as Communities and Local Government published revised guidance to help the construction industry respond to the challenge of meeting the zero carbon homes target.
The guidance, which responds to comments and feedback from industry, provides greater clarity in a number of areas including the future eligibility of different energy sources and the method for calculating anticipated water consumption.
Yvette Cooper said:
"We need to build more affordable homes but we also need to cut carbon emissions at the same time. That is why we are working with industry to meet the zero carbon challenge including through financial incentives.
"The ambition for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016 is a challenging one. We need to work in close co-operation with housebuilders and the green technology industry to can achieve."
HM Treasury will shortly lay draft regulations before Parliament setting out definition of a zero carbon home for stamp duty land tax purposes. An exemption on stamp duty land tax for new zero carbon homes was announced by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown last December.
The technical guidance can be found here.
SOURCE: Department for Communities and Local Government
