The climate crisis may feel far away, but as it begins to deepen the changing climate will have very real impacts for us. Here in the UK we’re already experiencing more extreme weather events and research suggests that the probability of higher levels of rainfall, leading to flooding has increased significantly due to climate change. According to Met Office data, 2022 was also the warmest year on record for the UK and also the year we experienced wildfires on the hottest day, as parts of the UK baked in over 40oC heat.
Reducing our emissions begins at home. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) (August 2022) approximately 26% of UK greenhouse gases come from households and this, along with an energy crisis, means the need to make our homes more efficient has never been greater. The UK has the oldest housing stock in Europe, and possibly the world, this coupled with our built-up environment, dealing with our emissions is difficult.
While we can make sure we’re not adding to the problem by ensuring new build homes are built with sustainability in mind, there’s an estimated 26 million homes in the UK which will need to undergo retrofitting to meet the emissions commitments. Upgrading our housing stock not only has an important part to play in reducing greenhouse gases contributing to climate change, but also in adapting to cope with those effects which may be here to stay. Full details of the government’s plans on delivering against the targets it’s set around decarbonising the energy used in our buildings, can be found via the link below.
New regulations
Introducing regulations is key for the UK government to be able to meet its emissions targets This has already started and new legislation around EPC ratings for properties are now well established. Find out more about what this means for you via the link below.
