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- International Energy Agency releases Global Energy Review amid coronavirus (COVID-19) on 30th April, 2020. According to the IEA, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic ‘has major implications for global economies, energy use and CO2 emissions’ and its analysis of ‘daily data through mid-April [2020] shows that countries in full lockdown are experiencing an average 25% decline in energy demand per week and countries in partial lockdown an average 18% decline’. Read more here
Renewable Heat Incentive schemes to change under government plans.
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published a notice on 28th April 2020 detailing the changes to be made to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) schemes. Principal among the changes are the extension of the domestic RHI scheme for an additional year until 31 March 2022, and the introduction of a new flexible allocation of tariff guarantees under the non-domestic RHI scheme. Read more here
- The Scottish Government has released guidance on 7th April for the construction sector in Scotland during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The guidance confirms that work on construction sites in Scotland should stop unless it is supporting an essential project during coronavirus. Read more here
- The Welsh Government has provided guidance on 23rd April for building control bodies during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. There is also guidance for building control bodies on operating on non-healthcare related buildings during the pandemic. Read more here
- The Construction Leadership Council has launched a Construction Industry Task Force on 4th April to provide a focal point for co-ordinating the industry response to Covid19. Read more here
- UK Government Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP sets out proposals to 'bring Britain’s planning system into the 21st century' (12th March). Key plans include: 1) encouraging developers encouraged to build upwards and above stations; 2) creating a new map of brownfield sites to make the most of unused land; and 3) a proposal to turn disused buildings into homes more quickly. Read more here
- The Spring Budget 2020, 11th March 2020. A review of the budget and what it means for UK infrastructure, house-building and planning. The government announced a new £1bn building safety fund in the Spring Budget, to fund the removal and replacement of unsafe non-ACM cladding on buildings 18m and over in both the private and social sectors.Read more about the Budget here (PDF);
and read more about the building safety fund here
- The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has released its Annual Monitoring Report which sets out the priorities for the government throughout 2020. The report outlines the NIC's views on the government’s progress against its recommendations in 2019 and its priorities for the government throughout 2020. Read more here
- Ofgem publishes Decarbonisation Action Plan: 'Rewiring Britain for a net zero future'. The strategy includes: building a system that supports the growth of renewables and ten million electric vehicles on our roads by 2030; supports development of an offshore grid to enable a four-fold increase in offshore wind generation by 2030; and also sets up an innovation fund focused on unlocking investment in innovative solutions to tackle climate change
- The government has pledged a £90m package for renewable energy in an effort to bring down CO2 emissions from homes and heavy industry. The government hopes to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% and to remove 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by utilising local energy projects throughout the UK. This new investment includes funding for Europe’s first hydrogen plants, which could generate enough energy to heat 200,000 homes. Read more here
- New protections for thousands of consumers on heat networks. The Government announced plans on 6th February 2020 for new protections for households on heat networks, making sure customers are paying a fair price and getting a good service. Read more here
- The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has amended the Clean Air Zone Framework. The framework contains the principles elaborated on by Defra that local authorities should follow when setting up Clean Air Zones. The changes concern the minimum classes and standards for Clean Air Zones which divide the road transport into four classes. Local authorities are expected to use the most recent version. Read more here
- The government has published its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's Phase 1 report published on 21st January 2020, which presents recommendations for actions already taken and to be taken by the government, the London Fire Brigade and all Fire and Rescue Services. Read more here
- A new Government Innovation Council has commenced, the new Regulatory Horizon Council, which is a government-backed committee to ensure that UK regulation keeps pace with innovation and enables it to thrive while safeguarding the public. Read more here
- Housing Secretary announces the new Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive, to be established immediately. Government committed to delivering the biggest change in building safety for a generation. Building owners who have not taken action to make their buildings safe will be named from March 2020. Read more here
- The Scottish government has announced that new regulations will be developed to require all new homes to use renewable or low carbon heating from 2024. This will happen alongside the phasing in of renewable and low carbon heating systems to non-domestic buildings given consent to build from 2024. The new initiatives form part of Scotland’s efforts to tackle climate change. Read more here
- The UK Government has announced plans to publish a national infrastructure strategy
This will set out the details of the its pledge to invest £100bn in infrastructure. The strategy will also set out the government’s long-term ambitions across ‘all areas of economic infrastructure, including transport, local growth, decarbonisation, digital infrastructure, infrastructure finance and delivery. Read more here - The Green Finance Institute announced the formation of the Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings (CEEB)
The Coalition was announced on 11th December and will champion the acceleration of financial innovation and scale-up, aimed at developing the market for financing net-zero carbon and climate-resilient buildings in the UK. Read more here
- The European Commission publishes initial roadmap for the European Green Deal
The European Commission has published ‘The European Green Deal’ on 11th December 2019, which is described as ‘a roadmap for making the EU's economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all’. Read more here
- The UK Government introduces ground-breaking Environment Bill
The Government has published a landmark Environment Bill (15th October), which aims to tackle the biggest environmental priorities of our time, signalling a historic step change in the way we protect and enhance our natural environment. Read more here - The Scottish government has announced that new regulations will be developed to require all new homes to use renewable or low carbon heating from 2024. This will happen alongside the phasing in of renewable and low carbon heating systems to non-domestic buildings given consent to build from 2024. The new initiatives form part of Scotland’s efforts to tackle climate change. Read more here
- The Government has announced plans to publish a national infrastructure strategy
This will set out the details of the its pledge to invest £100bn in infrastructure. The strategy will also set out the government’s long-term ambitions across ‘all areas of economic infrastructure, including transport, local growth, decarbonisation, digital infrastructure, infrastructure finance and delivery. Read more here
- Government introduces ground-breaking Environment Bill
The Government has published a landmark Environment Bill (15th October), which aims to tackle the biggest environmental priorities of our time, signalling a historic step change in the way we protect and enhance our natural environment. Read more here
- BRE helped to launch Home of 2030 competition to address the grand challenges of future housing needs on 4th November 2019. Read more here
- Environmental ambition for building council
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has released a sector ambition statement, in partnership with UKGBC members, announcing that ‘by 2030, all buildings and infrastructure will, throughout their lifetime, be climate resilient and maximise environmental net gains. Read more here
- UK Government: The Prime Minister has announced that he will chair a new Cabinet Committee on Climate Change
the Committee aims to be at the helm of strategies concerning meeting the net zero emissions target by 2050, as well as contributing to wider international actions to combating climate change. Under the committee, ministers in charge of domestic and international climate policy will be brought together and departments will be held accountable in relation to their efforts to address climate change. Read more here
- UK Government: The government has responded to the Select Committee’s report on ‘Building regulations and fire safety—consultation response and connected issues’, following the Grenfell Tower incident
Some key points raised by the government in response to the Committee’s recommendations include consultations currently open and earlier in 2019 on reforming building safety regulations, a full technical review of aspects of fire safety in building regulations and fire safety guidance, and a new ‘name and shame’ response to non-compliance.
- London Fire Brigade: Urgent research needed to minimise the risk of and improve responses to high-rise fires
The London Fire Commissioner has issued a call for government to take stronger action and undertake urgent research on ‘buildings that fail’ on fire safety, which renders the advice to ‘stay put’ unviable. The Commissioner has called for a total ban on combustible cladding and for sprinklers to be fitted in a much wider range of buildings, such as purpose-built blocks of flats. Read more here
- WGBC: A newly-published climate action roadmap by the World Building Council
has set out the 36 most viable solutions to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The solutions range from electric bikes to commercial shipping reform and reduced red meat consumption, all of which have the potential to scale rapidly so the world’s greenhouse gas emissions can reach net-zero by 2050. Global greenhouse gases must be cut to 50% by 2030. Read more here
- UK Government The government has responded to a report by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
on modern methods of construction. Its response includes a foreword by the Housing Minister and goes on to outline the government’s progress and addresses the 21 recommendations outlined earlier by the committee. Read more here
- MHCLG: UK Government publishes circular letter on fire spread directed at building control bodies
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has published a circular letter regarding the application of requirement B4 of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2214. The letter is directed at building control bodies and discusses the risk of fire spread over the external walls of a building, especially in low-rise buildings. The letter also confirms that building control bodies should use judgement to consider the overall intent of requirement B4 of SI 2010/2214, and not just simply comply with specific guidance. Read more here