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Why a national strategy is needed to tackle the carbon conundrum
As last month’s floods demonstrated, there is no getting away from the impact of climate change. But how should the sector adapt to this new normal? Nick Atkin explores the issue
As we gear up for the festive celebrations, it’s worth sharing a thought for those who’ve recently suffered the blight of flooding.
Christmas will be very different this year, with many families unable to return home until long after the decorations have been packed away. Paul Tanney recently spelled out the scale and extent of the devastation.
Fortunately, we had only one Yorkshire Housing customer who was affected by flooding.
Our Sheffield office was less fortunate, subjected to around one metre of flood water. It was inconvenient but nothing compared to the dreadful impact on those whose homes were affected.
So, is this a one-off or do we need to be prepared for this to become the new normal?
Tony Stacey recently set out the rationale for why we all need to take the climate crisis out of the ‘too difficult to think about’ box as it’s no longer something we can ignore.
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This was closely followed by Tracy Harrison setting out the business case for how the North could take the lead in generating ideas and support the innovations needed to benefit our ecosystems, people and economy.
Domestic properties account for around 18% of the UK’s CO2 emissions, primarily due to their use of oil and gas for heating, hot water and cooking.
The real figure is much higher as it doesn’t include the emissions caused by generating the electricity consumed. Currently, just 1.4% of English and Scottish housing stock achieve an A or B energy efficiency rating.
“We need to look at improving our existing stock and think differently about how we build new homes”
As one in every seven of the UK’s 30 million homes is social rented, it’s clear that housing associations and councils have a key role to play.
We need to look at improving our existing stock and think differently about how we build new homes.
Adopting a fabric-first approach can reduce energy consumption levels (and costs) by 90% compared to a traditional building.
This requires high insulation standards and airtightness, combined with mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems to recycle heat from appliances and keep any heat generated within the fabric of the building.
This significantly reduces the need for additional heating, which could be provided by alternatives to gas central heating, potentially through 100% renewable energy.
The default position isn’t just to build more homes. Our outdated approach to construction means it takes more than 50 tonnes of CO2 to build the average UK house.
When you consider that the average UK household emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 every year from heating their home, this means building just one new home creates as much CO2 as the average household over nearly two decades.
So, should we build higher-density homes instead? The answer is no.
Higher-density homes such as apartments can take even more CO2 to build, because of the need for larger quantities of traditional labour and products such as concrete and steel.
One option is to construct homes using materials that store carbon, such as timber from renewable sources.
This also acts as an insulator, meaning new timber homes emit a fraction of the CO2 generated by those built using traditional techniques.
The improved quality of design and orientation of new homes on site can also bring benefits such as shielding from prevailing winds and maximising solar gain.
It’s a complex picture and there’s no silver bullet.
“If we are to leave a legacy of low-carbon homes we need a co-ordinated national strategy, underpinned by considerable investment in retrofit insulation systems, micro-generation and energy storage systems”
We need bold targets that force a change in our thinking and the way people live in their homes. That’s why from 2021 Yorkshire Housing’s new homes will no longer have fossil-fuelled heating systems as we move to a fabric-first approach.
We’re also starting a programme to replace the most inefficient systems in our existing homes. This will benefit our customers by providing energy-efficient homes that are well insulated, cheaper to heat and better for the environment.
But individual actions aren’t enough. If we are to leave a legacy of low-carbon homes we need a co-ordinated national strategy, underpinned by considerable investment in retrofit insulation systems, micro-generation and energy storage systems.
Our energy use per home has also risen as we increase the number of appliances and gadgets in our homes. This means we also need to consider and encourage the use and generation of energy at an individual home or locality level.
The new government has a time-limited opportunity to make a real difference.
Let’s hope they grasp it with both hands.
Nick Atkin, chief executive, Yorkshire Housing
