Conservative response to Labour’s zero carbon pledge

Friday, 1 November 2019 22:30

Responding, Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: "As usual, Labour are setting unrealistic targets that would slow down housebuilding and put up house prices. "Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are taking a practical, sensible approach to reducing emissions from homes. We are introducing a Future Homes Standard that will be ensure new homes meet reductions in emissions by a third by 2020, and world leading...Request free trial

Responding, Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said:

"As usual, Labour are setting unrealistic targets that would slow down housebuilding and put up house prices.

"Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are taking a practical, sensible approach to reducing emissions from homes. We are introducing a Future Homes Standard that will be ensure new homes meet reductions in emissions by a third by 2020, and world leading by 2025

"Our measures will significantly reduce harmful emissions so we protect our climate for future generations, while also encouraging desperately needed housebuilding and keeping bills affordable for families."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

· We have introduced a package of measures to decarbonise heating and promote energy efficient homes. We launched the Future Homes Standard consultation in October 2019, to ensure that every new home that’s built in this country from 2025 will have low or zero-carbon emissions and the highest levels of energy efficiency (MHCLG, Open Consultation, 1 October 2019, link).

· We are reforming regulations to promote beautifully designed homes which are good for the environment. Our bold reforms to planning speed up the process and promote high quality design, stronger environmental protections and give communities a greater voice about what development looks like in their area. (MHCLG, Press Release, 23 October 2019, link; MHCLG, Press Release, 24 July 2018, link).

We have reduced greenhouse gases by a quarter since coming to office in 2010. In 2010, total greenhouse gases were 600.2 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent. In 2018, this had fallen by 25 per cent to 448.5 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (BEIS, 2018 UK greenhouse gas emissions: provisional figures – data tables, 28 March 2019, link).

Labour’s climate change plans are ‘utterly unachievable’ and ‘almost certainly impossible’. Labour plan to reduce emissions to Net Zero by 2030, but the GMB union said ‘Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030 is utterly unachievable’, and the IFS added: ‘Aiming for zero emissions by 2030 is almost certainly impossible, hugely disruptive and risks undermining consensus’ (BBC, The Today Programme, 24 September 2019, archived; Paul Johnson, Twitter, 24 September 2019, link).

· Labour can’t be trusted to deliver the homes they promise. Housebuilding under Labour fell to levels not seen since the 1920s. Between June 2008 and June 2009 only 75,000 new homes were started, the lowest level of housebuilding in peacetime since the 1920s (MHCLG, House Building: September Quarter 2013 England, 21 November 2013, link; Holmans, A., historical Statistics of British Housing, 2005, link).