NHBC and the country’s leading home builders have committed alongside supply sectors, regulators and environmental groups to a sector-wide delivery plan for meeting climate, nature and the wider environmental targets set by Government.
The plan, agreed through the Future Homes Task Force, which comprises leading figures from the relevant home building, supply chain, skills, environmental, planning, academic, infrastructure, utilities and regulator communities, and through collaboration with the Government, includes headline goals to deliver:
- high quality homes that are zero carbon ready and sustainable by 2025, with early investigation of the steps beyond;
- places and developments that are consistently low carbon, nature rich, resilient healthy, well-designed and beautiful by 2025;
- production and construction methods that are net zero and sustainable by 2050, with substantial progress by 2025 and 2030;
- businesses operations in line with the Race to Zero: net zero by 2050 with a 50% reduction by 2030.
These goals are supported by more detailed commitments and roadmaps in the summary delivery plan, published today. This sector-wide agreement plots a stretching but deliverable path to enable the homebuilding sector to plan early and collaborate with inter-related sectors such as suppliers, skills providers infrastructure and the conservation community, as well as the Government to build high quality environmentally friendly homes and places.
It is the first sector-wide plan in the UK to cover the full range of environmental targets from net zero carbon emissions to nature, air and water quality, resources and waste as well as wider goals around sustainable place-making and resilience to the impacts of climate change. The sequenced roadmap sets a series of goals and milestones that need to be met along the way, incorporating Government policies such as the Future Homes Standard and Biodiversity Net Gain.
Commenting on the launch of the delivery plan, NHBC CEO Steve Wood said: “We welcome this important initiative which is fundamental to meeting zero carbon and environmental goals. Increasing the supply of new homes while addressing climate change is a significant challenge. New homes built today will be with us for generations and so must be high quality, sustainable, safe and comfortable.
“NHBC has a proven track record of thought leadership on sustainability and environmental matters. We will play our full part in supporting the industry, ensuring that new construction methods and technologies are fit for purpose, tried and tested and that the quality of new homes continues to improve as designs and construction practices evolve. The Delivery Hub will be invaluable in facilitating collaboration across the supply chain, enabling the sharing of expertise and learning towards the achievement of this common purpose for the benefit of future homeowners.”
Housing Secretary RT Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: “As we drive forward our plan for the UK to meet its 2050 net zero target, we are determined to improve the energy efficiency of our homes and reduce carbon emissions in a way that is fair and affordable to everyone.
“I welcome the work of the Future Homes Task Force, which has brought together leaders across the fields that contribute to and influence homebuilding and has created this roadmap for meeting these challenges. It is right that the industry is stepping up to play a leadership role here: delivery and innovation to meet the challenges requires common purpose and partnerships that are being formed. The Delivery Hub will provide support across industry to ensure successful implementation of the Future Homes Standard.”
Stewart Baseley. Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation said: “Today’s major environmental challenges will be with us for the future and cannot be ignored. It’s imperative we show leadership and commitment to play our part in tackling them and I’m delighted the Task Force’s delivery plan gives the industry and its partners the basis to do so.”
To drive and oversee the plan the new delivery Hub will be launched in September, with the support and involvement of Government. The Hub will help facilitate a sector-wide approach to identify the metrics, more detailed targets where necessary, methods and innovations to meet the goals and the collaborations required with supply chains and other sectors. It will incorporate the needs of all parties including the public and private sector and crucially, consumers, such that they can all play their part in delivering environmentally conscious homes that people want to live in.
