Zero-carbon from buildings possible by 2050
The UK can remove all CO2 emissions being emitted from homes and offices by 2050 if the government introduces legally-binding energy performance standards, say academics
In the latest report from the Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI), Achieving zero, the ECI argues that if 40% of the £35 billion spent each year on improving and maintaining buildings is invested in energy-efficiency measures, by 2050 all UK properties will be insulated so well they will not need any additional energy for heating.
The report concludes that such measures could halve electricity use in buildings and mean that demand could be met entirely by low-carbon renewable-energy technologies.
However, the ECI estimates that 82 buildings will have to be retrofitted to efficiency band A every hour for the next 39 years if the UK is to meet the zero-carbon target.