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Welsh government-commissioned report calls for zero-carbon homes by 2050
A Welsh government-commissioned report has called on ministers to commit to a 30-year programme to cut carbon emissions from homes.
The Better Homes, Better Wales, Better World report by the Decarbonisation of Homes in Wales Advisory Group said homes should achieve net zero carbon by 2050.
The report stressed the huge political, economic and social challenge of making homes greener and more energy efficient.
Chris Jofeh, chair of the group and former global buildings retrofit leader at Arup, said: “Now is the time for Wales to take a lead and show how it can be done.
“The benefits of doing so will be profound and widespread for families, for businesses and for Wales.”
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The report sets out action plans for each of its recommendations, which include developing support packages to cut carbon emissions from homes and testing out new solutions for decarbonisation.
Responding to the report, Julie James, housing and local government minister for the Welsh government, said: “I welcome the advisory group’s recommendations and want to thank Chris and all members of the group for their expertise and insight.
“Making our homes greener and more energy efficient will be challenging, especially when you consider that Wales has the oldest and least thermally efficient housing in the UK and Europe.
“But with this challenge also comes enormous opportunities – lower fuel bills, improved air quality, more comfortable homes, better health, new jobs and skills. We have to be ambitious and creative if we’re going to achieve the change we need.”
Ms James will issue a formal response to the report, which has been in development for 15 months, in the autumn.
Earlier this month the Welsh government accepted recommendations from a separate affordable housing policy review which called for an “accelerated programme of decarbonisation of existing homes”.
Ministers also declared a climate emergency in April.
Stuart Ropke, chief executive of Community Housing Cymru, said: “A 30-year commitment to reduce the carbon emissions from all housing in Wales is a bold and welcome recommendation from this review.
“As the report recognises, this will not be easy. Meeting this challenge will require huge levels of government investment and a transformation in the way we build and refurbish homes.”
