No room for green initiatives

The United Kingdom’s Treasury department has cut its plans to make homes carbon neutral from 2016 by scrapping existing regulations that would have required houses to opt for renewable energy to meet their power requirements.

First announced in 2006, the zero carbon home policy favoured generation of green energy from renewable sources, such as wind or solar, at the site itself. The power would then be used for home heating, hot water, lighting and ventilation purposes.

From 2016, this policy was intended to be backed by tighter energy efficiency standards along with a scheme that would require house developers to offer equivalent carbon savings off-site.

The authorities have now decided not to proceed with both the Zero Carbon Allowable Solutions carbon offsetting scheme and the proposed 2016 increase in on-site energy efficiency standards.

The authority has also eliminated the zero carbon policy for non-domestic buildings, according to the announcement.

However, this decision led to protests from house builders, planners and green groups in the country.