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The RIBA welcomes the launch of the Government's Low Carbon Transition Plan White Paper, which sets out how the UK will move towards being a low carbon economy.

 

Today's announcement contains a number of measures previously called for by the RIBA, including:

• The introduction of a scheme for householders to be paid for clean energy they produce and put back into the grid
• A scheme to fund energy efficiency improvements in UK homes
• Binding and ambitious targets for long-term emissions reduction
• Developing a detailed low-carbon energy strategy for the UK

 

In setting out its plan to switch the UK to a permanent low carbon footing, the Government has showcased an ambitious package of emissions targets. Of particular interest to the RIBA is its aim to achieve emissions cuts of 34% on 1990 levels by 2020, and a reduction of at least 80% by 2050.

 

The announced measures include:

• Pilot schemes aiming to allow 7 million homes to eventually enter pay-as-you-save home energy makeovers, helping people make their whole house greener by using the savings made on energy bills to repay the upfront costs
• The introduction of feed-in tariffs, to support more than 1.5 million households produce their own clean energy
• Legally binding carbon budgeting for Government Departments
• Measures to speed up and incentivise the development of new renewable energy schemes – vital to de-carbonise the UK energy sector.

 

However, while the measures announced to achieve change are a positive step in the right direction, they still fall short of the scale and impact of what will be necessary to achieve those targets. Much more needs to be done, particularly in the efforts to make our existing homes and other buildings energy efficient.  The task of reducing the UK's household emissions must be tackled urgently, and there are few technological or capability barriers to achieving this.

 

The RIBA would like to see a much wider, more extensive scheme developed, to help deliver domestic energy efficiency much sooner than envisaged in the White Paper.  The vast majority of the UK's 22 million homes need to be retrofitted, however the current plan addresses less than a third of these, and over a very long timescale. A more comprehensive refurbishment plan could not only help to reduce UK emissions, but could also help to stimulate the economy, and to bring down the cost of the technologies and processes needed to deliver cleaner buildings across all sectors.

 

Following the launch, RIBA President Sunand Prasad said:

"This is a significant step forward in planning for the transition to a true low carbon economy.  We welcome the package of measures announced alongside the pragmatic targets for reducing future emissions by 80% by 2050.  Now we have overall targets in our sights we must ensure that the actions are effective in driving forward change, and lowering our emissions.

 

Maintaining consistent long-term targets, alongside practical, ambitious and urgent actions to limit emissions, is the beginning of a long but critical process.  We offer our support to the Government, both in implementing the UK's own low carbon roadmap, and in achieving a binding global agreement that reflects the determined targets that the UK Government has set itself.

 

As more data emerges there is little doubt that our targets will have to become more stringent.  But we should not be afraid of that.  Climate change is a cash-flow problem, and the investment we make in energy efficiency and sustainability will pay itself back."