GREEN BUILDING
Meeting the 2016 target
slightly differently to England . Zero carbon , for instance , is not the goal , ‘ net carbon ’ is . This is the level at which carbon emissions of a building become effectively neutral in terms of environmental impact , rather than at exactly zero percent , which is very difficult and costly to achieve .
At the end-user stage , incentivising low carbon , energy efficient building could help create demand . For instance , a scheme which reduces the stamp duty obligation , or introduces a reduction in council tax , for new homes which are built to high energyefficiency standards would likely be highly attractive to prospective home owners , and even rental tenants .
This would reflect the lower environmental impact and lifecycle costs , and could prove to be an attractive selling point for housebuilders . Similarly , commercial buildings with high energy performance standards can offer reduced rates for the more energy efficient designs and are often easier to sell to long term building owners .
Although by no means the whole solution , additional incentives like these would create market pull and encourage both housebuilders and commercial developers to deliver buildings that are attractive to prospective owners or tenants . It would drive innovation in energy efficient technologies and building fabrics , and help to create a sustainable stock of houses and buildings for the future .
Ultimately , the most effective agent of change will be the industry itself , which means the business case for sustainable construction has to be compelling . Building that
30 July 2014