RICS says Government needs to get tough

The Government must introduce legislation to achieve energy efficiency in the home if the UK is to hit the carbon emission targets designed to save the planet, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has claimed.

Louis Armstrong, chief executive of RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), said unless rapid changes take place, houses will not reach the target of a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

RICS have produced a case study in Bournemouth, which shows household emissions must fall from 6176kg to 2471kg of carbon dioxide per year. In London, emissions would need to fall by 70% to achieve government targets. Armstrong commented: &The Government must show firm leadership in both economic and social spheres, if we are to avoid sleepwalking our way into uncontrollable global warming. The Government has cut funding for DEFRA, including funding for flood defences - vital for protection against storms - and has cut green taxes by 20% since 1999. The cuts, amounting to some £200m, call into question how the UK will be able to respond effectively to ever changing environmental conditions.

&The Government needs to show political courage and make tough, unpopular decisions by introducing statutory measures to ensure long term achievement. The Government must act now or face the consequences. This goes for the real estate and construction sectors too. Safeguarding the future requires the expertise of professionals involved in the design, planning and construction of the built environment. Safeguards must have the long-term vision to protect future generations also.&

Commenting on the story, Chief Executive of Energy-Assessors .com, Stephen Callaghan said &The Government's target for reduction of Carbon dioxide emissions is very ambitious but the imperative must be to achieve it. Through the mandatory Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) on all house sales from next June onwards, the DCLG will be going some way down the track for the housing sector, and must be looked upon as a good start. The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will also start to bite soon. Gaining enough suitably qualified and trained energy assessors and home inspectors must be a key priority for the Government and companies including energy-assessors.com will also be playing a key role in bringing suitably prepared energy assessors forward over the coming months.