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Builders' body backs low-carbon construction report
30/11/10
Edited by Andy Jowett.A new report on promoting low-carbon construction in the UK provides welcome recommendations for cutting builders' emissions but the government must back a "clear delivery plan" to ensure they become a reality, according to one industry insider.
Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders, claimed the study by Whitehall's Innovation and Growth Team (IGT) is "bang on" about the need for "a green revolution in the built environment".
It said in order to achieve low-carbon construction, contractors must achieve three goals: to decarbonise their business, regardless of where they sit in the supply chain; to create buildings that enable residents to improve their energy efficiency; and to provide the infrastructure for harnessing clean power.
Mr. Berry also welcomed the report's call for additional incentives to stoke demand for the retrofitting of residential property under the Green Deal.
"Cutting the rate of VAT on energy-efficient repairs would be the most obvious and simplest choice to kick-start the retrofit market," he argued.
The expert concluded that the IGT study provides a business plan "for the entire construction industry" covering the next 40 years.
