UK Housing: The Race to Zero Net Carbon is On

At Atelier we’ve spent a lot of time researching climate change and deciding how we as a company should respond to the challenges before us.

The UK has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and this fast-approaching goal is helping us focus our energies on areas where we feel we can provoke debate and bring about meaningful change.

Of course, with an issue as complex as climate change, it’s never easy finding a place to start, though central to this report is the conclusion that the current EPC standard has become hopelessly outmoded. We feel there is an urgent need for a new system that tracks a wider variety of metrics, helping both the property industry and home-buyers to make more informed choices and understand better how homes impact climate change.

With the UK preparing to host the UN climate summit (COP26) in November, now is the time to begin implementing the radical changes necessary to tackle our emissions and deliver better homes overall. We have every incentive to do so, for in business the view from the front of the pack is always the best. And while some see the estimated £250 billion cost of upgrading our homes as prohibitive, others see a solid business case for galvanising stakeholders within the industry and committing ourselves to the challenge.

I am convinced that if we let science and technology lead the way, then society will be better for it, and by sharing our research we hope we can assist others in starting their carbon reduction journey too.

 

Click to read the full paper here.

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