The UK wants all new houses to be carbon zero by 2016. Could New Zealand do the same?
A group of New Zealand industry and government representatives recently returned from a study tour to the UK to look at whether New Zealand could develop a version of the UK’s 2007 Code for Sustainable Homes.
Code Green
The UK code is basically a national standard for building homes in a more sustainable wasy, using an independent assessment and rating system for new home design and construction. It works in tandem with the UK Building Code and covers nine areas: energy and CO2 emissions, materials, waste, health and well-being, ecology, water, surface water run-off, pollution and management.
Every home rated against the Code is given a star rating from 0 to 6 (6 being carbon zero). Although it is a voluntary standard, all new homes must be rated – they don’t have to achieve any particular Code level. However, all homes built with funding from the UK Housing Corporation must meet Code level 3.
Meanwhile, Energy Performance Certificates are required at the point of sale or rental, which has created an accreditation scheme of trained energy assessors.
The UK government’s aim is to reduce emissions from housing by 60 per cent by 2050, with the first target being to get all new housing carbon zero by 2016.
The New Zealand tour group felt that UK industry generally recognised the commercial opportunities in delivering to the Code and accepted that the construction industry plays a central role.
Five years ago, providing sustainable features for products and/or services might have brought some competitive advantage, but it is now more about survival in the marketplace.
