National Policy and Legislation
The Climate Change Act
The Climate Change Act became law in the UK on 26 November 2008. This Act makes it the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for all six Kyoto greenhouse gases for the year 2050 is at least 80 per cent lower than the 1990 baseline.
The Act aims to enable the United Kingdom to become a low-carbon economy and gives ministers powers to introduce the measures necessary to achieve a range of greenhouse gas reduction targets. It embodies a new approach to managing and responding to climate change in the UK through:
- setting ambitious targets
- putting in place powers to help achieve these
- setting 5 year carbon budgets
- strengthening the institutional framework
- enhancing the UK's ability to adapt to the impact of climate change
- establishing clear and regular accountability to central government
An independent Committee on Climate Change has been created under the Act to provide advice to UK Government on these targets and related policies.
Energy Act 2008
The Energy Act Supports the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in a number of ways. It extends the Renewables Obligation and introduces banding to provide more flexibility in the level to which different technologies are supported. It also introduces a microgeneration (installations less than 5MW) feed-in tariff as a fiscal incentive for small-scale generation, clarifies issues regarding the licensing of smart meters and introduces a renewable heat incentive.
Planning Policy Statement 1 (PPS 1)
PPS1 was published in January 2005. It places sustainable development at the heart of the planning process, setting out the Government's overarching planning policies for delivering sustainable development through the planning system. It can be downloaded from here.
PPS1 Climate Change Supplement
PPS 1 sets out a series of key planning objectives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and prepare for the potential consequences of climate change. It can be downloaded from here.
In line with PPS22, PPS1 states that local planning documentation must encourage the development of low carbon and renewable technologies. Local authorities are encouraged to take an evidence based approach for their renewables targets. With respect to sustainable buildings PPS1 states that such developments should be actively encouraged. An example of translating the objectives of PPS1 into a local plan is the London Plan.
Paragraph 20: Sites for Renewable and Low-Carbon Energy Sources
Alongside any criteria-based policy developed in line with PPS22, consider identifying suitable areas for renewable and low-carbon energy sources, and supporting infrastructure, where this would help secure the development of such sources.
Paragraph 26 (ii), (iii), (iv): Authority Wide Targets for New Development
Importantly: Planning authorities should have an evidence-based understanding of the local feasibility and potential for renewable and low-carbon technologies, including microgeneration, to supply new development in their area.
Paragraph 26 (ii), (iii), (iv): Development Area and Site Specific Targets for New Development
Where there are particular and demonstrable opportunities for greater use of decentralized and renewable or low-carbon energy than the target percentage, bring forward development area or site-specific targets to secure this potential.
Paragraph 27: Existing Energy Networks and Development
In considering a development area or site-specific target, planning authorities should pay particular attention to opportunities for utilising existing decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy supply systems and to fostering the development of new opportunities to supply proposed and existing development. Such opportunities could include co-locating potential heat customers and heat suppliers.
Paragraph 27+ 28: Local Networks
a) Where there are existing decentralised energy supply systems, or firm proposals, planning authorities can expect proposed development to connect to an identified system, or be designed to be able to connect in future.
b) When specifying requirements for new development to secure energy from decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy sources, planning authorities can set specific requirements to facilitate connection.
PPS 22 – Renewable Energy
Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS 22)
PPS 22 sets out the Government's planning policy on renewable energy. Its purpose is to promote and encourage renewable energy in the UK by providing the planning profession and the renewables market with a base from which to move towards the achievement of the Government's renewable energy targets.
i) That regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should accommodate renewable energy developments and that their plans should contain criteria based policies designed to ‘promote and encourage', rather than restrict, the development of renewable energy resources. There will be no place for planning policies that rule out or place constraints on the development of renewable energy technologies.
ii) Regional renewable energy targets should be introduced in regional plans as minimum targets to be monitored and increased if and when they are met.
iii) When assessing proposals for renewable energy, the wider environmental and economic benefits are material considerations that should be given significant weight in determining whether proposals should be granted planning permission.
iv) Planning authorities should foster community involvement in renewable energy projects and seek to promote knowledge of and greater acceptance by the public of prospective renewable energy developments that are appropriately located.
Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and BREEAM
Both BREEAM and CSH are environmental assessment methods, that rate buildings against a comprehensive set of criteria relating to energy, materials, waste, water, ecology and management. BREEAM relates to non-residential buildings, CSH relates to residential buildings.
Since 1 May 2008 it is mandatory for all new homes to be rated against the CSH. Furthermore, many local authorities ask for minimum BREEAM and CSH ratings for new developments. Further details on these methodologies can be found in the Low Carbon Design.
Energy Performance of Buildings (EPCs, DECs etc.)
New measures to improve the energy performance of our buildings.
In response to the EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD) the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has introduced the following measures in England and Wales in order to improve the energy efficiency of buildings:
- introducing energy performance certificates (EPCs) for properties providing A-G efficiency ratings and recommendations for improvement, when buildings (residential and non-residential) are built, sold or rented.
- requiring existing public buildings to display energy certificates (DECs)
- requiring inspections for air conditioning systems
- giving advice and guidance for boiler users
Since October 2008 all properties - homes, commercial and public buildings - need an EPC when bought, sold, built or rented. Larger public buildings also need to display an energy certificate. Both Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and display energy certificates (DECs) provide a rating for the energy performance of a building. Both are similar to the certificates now provided with domestic appliances, with ratings from A-G. EPC ratings are ‘asset ratings' based on the energy efficiency of the building fabric and services, so buildings of similar types can easily be compared. DECs on the other hand are based on the actual amount of energy used by a building over a year (the ‘Measured' or ‘Operational' Rating). An advisory report must also be provided with each DEC. The arrival of DECs in particular is a crucial step for low carbon development, as it means that buildings are measured against actual performance and ‘greenwash' can be exposed.
Building a Greener Future: policy statement
Within the context of a substantial 27 per cent emissions coming from domestic housing, this policy statement represents the ambitious and far reaching intention for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016 with a progressive tightening of the energy efficiency building regulations - by 25 per cent in 2010 and by 44 per cent in 2013 - up to the zero carbon target in 2016. This policy statement will impact on further developments of building and planning regulations.
The statement also sets out related issues such as the requirement for housing to be affordable, the need to progress standards for existing housing alongside those for new-built, Costs and benefits and the definition of ‘zero carbon' to be used in this context. A consultation on the last issue has been undertaken recently.
To view the "Building a Greener Future: policy statement" click here.
