Member Article

Low Carbon Construction Plan Published

The government has published its Low Carbon Construction Action Plan today, but it has been met with a cautious response.

The Construction Products Association were disappointed that not enough is being done to address the growing problem of outsourcing carbon emissions overseas. They also called for additional fiscal support to stimulate the take up of the government’s flag ship Green Deal.

However, the report does recognise most of the key issues involved in delivering a low carbon built environment, and highlights how the public sector can provide the powerful leadership needed for its own construction procurement.

The report also mentions the importance of also addressing existing building stock, and not just new build homes.

Problematically however, the report does not address how carbon is measured, because despite claims that carbon emissions policies are contributing to decarbonisation in the UK, carbon emissions have increased by 30% since 1990.

John Tebbit, industry affairs director at the Construction Products Association said: “The Report acknowledges the importance of supporting the emerging standards as a basis for measuring embodied carbon, but there is no commitment to develop a policy framework around this to ensure that the built environment we create is one that provides the lowest whole-life and whole-planet solution.”

Despite these issues, the Association has also welcomed a further partnership between the government and industry, and especially the establishment of the Green Construction Board.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .