Green building: the policy context

John Alker, Director of Policy & Communications

@johnalker

john.alker@ukgbc.org

Remember this?

Key points

• GOVERNMENT IS A COALITION OF COALITIONS

• PROGRESSIVE POLICY-MAKING IS A STRUGGLE

• LABOUR ARE DOING WHAT OPPOSITIONS DO

• GREEN IS BECOMING MORE POLITICAL – BUT THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING...

We’re in a battle

Key points

• GOVERNMENT IS INFLUENCED BY EXTERNAL OPINION – NOT SURPRISING THERE ARE CONTRADICTIONS IN POLICY

• PROGRESSIVE BUSINESSES NEED TO LEAD PUBLIC OPINION, NOT FOLLOW

• THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT GREEN AND GROWTH TOGETHER

• BUSINESS GROUPS NEED TO SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE

Key demands

1. Long term structural incentives to encourage home energy efficiency, including ‘consequential improvements’

2. Ring-fenced retrofit programme for public buildings, funded by a combination of the £1.5bn annual government departmental underspend and other innovative finance mechanisms such as Energy Performance Contracting.

3. Stick to the commitment for all new homes and all new non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon from 2016 and 2019 respectively; and urgently clarify both the interim steps required through Part L and Allowable Solutions.

4. Boost energy saving in commercial buildings by improving DECs and extending them to all buildings; and provide urgent clarity on the obligations in the Energy Act 2011 to phase out the letting of poorer performing buildings.

5. Encourage long-term investment in green infrastructure and improve confidence in the supply chain by enabling the Green Investment Bank to borrow now, and providing greater clarity on the future for low carbon energy generation.

• Part L: May

• Housing Standards Review: May

• Green Deal plan numbers: June

• Allowable solutions: July

• Energy audits: Summer

• RHI: Summer

• MEPs: Autumn

Coming up thick and fast

Final thoughts

• LEADERSHIP

• COLLABORATION

• EVIDENCE SHARING

• EDUCATION

• ADVOCACY

Green building: the policy context

John Alker, Director of Policy & Communications

@johnalker

john.alker@ukgbc.org