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Grand gestures needed to promote action on climate change, says expert
10/08/09
The UK Green Building Council's (GBC) proposals to give home owners access to loans of up to £10,000 in order to improve the energy efficiency of residential property could be the type of "grand gestures" needed to mobilise people to act on climate change, an expert has said. Gordon Miller, founder of sustainable development website whatgreenhome.com, believes it is "very unlikely" that the government will adopt all of the council's measures, but the recommendations could nevertheless pave the way for other schemes to address Britain's "notoriously energy inefficient homes".
Under the GBC's plan, a £5 billion pot would be established to allow accredited low energy refurbishment providers such as builders and retailers to provide finance for green home improvements.
Mr Miller said that with 27% of the UK's carbon emissions coming from residential property, it is "critical" that home owners take responsibility for their environmental impact and change their behaviour - and "aspirational" plans such as those put forward by the GBC are needed to incentivise people.
He added that if the UK is to meet its legally-binding obligation to reduce carbon emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050, then plans to improve the energy efficiency of homes on a "huge scale" have to be implemented "much sooner rather than later".
