Chris Skidmore MP has released ‘Mission Zero,’ an independent review of Net Zero carried out by former energy minister Chris Skidmore MP, has created a challenge for the Government to implement changes which deliver on, rather than placate, campaigner calls.
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said that if the Government decides to read the Skidmore review as a call for more forced net zero policy, their ambition will fail, and we’ll be repeating the mistakes of the last three decades.
However, if they read it as a review highlighting regulatory challenges to sustained innovation, investment, and business growth, then Britain can go “a long way to not only meeting its climate goals but delivering a much-needed productivity increase”.
Construction and constructors underpin most net zero ambitions because transport, infrastructure, ‘20-minute neighbourhoods’, housing, renewables, and energy are all delivered and maintained by those 2.7 million people working in the sector.
The review homes in on the importance of spatial strategies through Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) and streamlined planning processes because too often, uncertainty and bureaucracy mean projects spend more time and money jumping through hoops - and consequently making some works unviable - than on the project itself. This also impacts the ability to train and retain staff.
However, the planning recommendations only covered energy, and not the 99% of works holding the construction sector back.
Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning for the House Builders Association (HBA) and NFB, said: “Rather than understanding that the planning process makes greater net zero investment unviable for new development, the review suggests planning should ignore viability to enforce net zero. This is very disappointing, as when it comes to energy infrastructure and LAEP, the review took a more commercially astute view.
“The same can be said for a call for local authorities to set their own energy efficiency standards, as this contradicts the Governments ‘Future Homes Standard’ before it is even introduced and fragments industry from moving as one to upskill and invest in net zero.
“It was good to see the review do what the Climate Change Committee (CCC) have been struggling to do in their annual reports and recommend planning reform in Conservation Areas. This is vital as there are around 10,000 conservation zones and 12.5m homes built with traditional construction methods. This means the UK will require considerable workforce investment to ensure our least energy efficiency homes can be made warmer and healthier, but this capacity growth can only come if the planning process permits works to be completed.”
RIBA President, Simon Allford said: “We support this report’s conclusion that greater ambition is needed to reach net zero, and recognition of the importance of decarbonising the built environment.
“The report suggests that Government must be bolder on all fronts. So we very much welcome the suggestion of an Office for Net Zero Delivery to help to ensure that climate initiatives are robust and connected across government - nothing can fall through the cracks.
“A National Retrofit Strategy is another imperative – by embedding many of the recommendations listed in the review the government can start a retrofit revolution.
“We urge the Government to adopt the report’s recommendations. The built environment plays a crucial role in tackling climate change, and we continue to offer our expertise to the Government as we move the dial towards net zero. The clock is ticking, there is no time to waste.”
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said the building industry is “raring to act” on energy efficiency improvements, which will decarbonise existing homes and reduce energy consumption, but there has been a lack of direction from the Government now for too long.
“The FMB welcomes the recommendations made in this report from Chris Skidmore as they show that with the right policy levers being pulled, the building industry can deliver a long term national retrofit strategy, which the FMB has long been championing," he explained.
"It’s also positive that the creation of ‘retrofit hubs’ is a key recommendation for moving the industry forward. The FMB and partners have been working on setting up a cross industry retrofit hub to help co-ordinate and upscale retrofit delivery. The report rightly notes that a net zero skills plan will be needed by the Government. There is a serious skills shortage in the building industry with at least a third of FMB members finding it difficult to hire bricklayers and carpenters. We need to see a clear roadmap for skills and a market for retrofit so that local builders can make the transition to training up in new green skills."
"What is abundantly clear from the Skidmore Review are the benefits of retrofitting – it’s a win-win solution. Retrofitting of existing homes lowers bills, warms homes, creates jobs, and provides local builders with skills for the future. The review points out what needs to be done by the Government to make net zero a reality and industry stands ready to deliver on it.”
Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC said the Skidmore Review rightly recognises the enormous economic prize of jobs, growth, and innovation on offer if the UK takes proactive action to seize the opportunities of net zero.
“Our members and partners across the industry are resoundingly consistent and committed to working at speed and scale to deliver a decarbonised, net zero built environment and reaping the economic and growth opportunities that this brings,” she continued.
“We welcome the range of recommendations in the Review to support the decarbonisation of our homes, buildings, communities and cities. Many of our members would even support going further in several areas, including legislating for net zero alignment through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, requiring solar power on new homes, and an end date for new fossil fuel boilers in homes by 2028.
“We urge the Government to decisively take forward the recommendations so that the UK can accelerate progress toward net zero and embrace this era of opportunity at a time when our economy needs it most acutely.”
