Sustainable development and planning news

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is persuing it's zero carbon policies shelved by central government in 2015 by setting a 100% CO2 reduction for new buildings beyond Part L of the Building Regulations,  or expecting developers to pay cash into a carbon offset fund...

The newly-created Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department has confirmed the ministerial briefs, including the ministerial portfolios for climate change and energy efficiency. The department will be led by Greg Clark, the Secretary of State. In response to...

The 9 things you should know about the UK's sustainability agenda post Brexit. 1. Zero Carbon Homes has been postponed for the near future by the Housing and Planning Act. 2. There is now a greater requirement for negotiation and management of client risk. 3. In the...

In her first week of appointment, the Prime Minister Teresa May, has created a new department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.  This will encompass the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) which will no longer stand alone as its own department....

Energy Minister defends cutting Zero carbon Homes Policy! Andrea Leadsom has defended the axing of the zero carbon homes programme by stating that other EU policies will ensure that buildings will be nearly zero carbon by 2021 The government's recent decision to axe...

Zero Carbon Homes lifeline sinks -  by 4 votes! After the Lords had reopened the door to zero carbon homes after peers rebelled by sending back the Bill with a 48 vote defeat of the government in April 2016, on 10 May 2016, the government defeated the amendment in the...

Government learns Green Deal lessons and goes Dutch  A  £200m framework for UK energy efficiency work across 5,000 homes to fill the void left by the failed Green Deal project will be led by the UK subsidiary of the Dutch scheme  Energiesprong, set up do achieve...

Carbon Capture projects binned as Cameron pledges to further carbon reductions Two giant power station carbon capture projects competing for £1bn worth of funding are now unlikely to continue after a statement to the London Stock Exchange released shortly after the...

Climate Change Committee warning to act on CO2 emissions. A government watchdog, the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has called for the government to act in rolling out a fresh and workable set of green built environment policies to increase the rates at...

Boris goes ahead with Zero Carbon Homes The Major of London, Boris Johnson, has recently announced his intention to impliment the shelved Zero Carbon Homes Standard in London after David Cameron pulled out of the planned move which was due under Building Regulations...