21 September 2007
The government could miss its target for the provision of carbon neutral homes by 2016, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has stated.
The national body for housing associations has claimed that private developers are not doing enough in order to ensure all new homes are carbon-neutral in nine years time.
According to the NHF, only 2% of privately-built new homes meet the criteria for carbon neutral homes set out by the government, compared with 92% of new homes being built by housing associations.
"Currently, private developers are not being compelled to meet minimum standards on greenhouse gas emissions at all," NHF's Chief Executive, David Orr said.
"It's time that ministers legally locked private developers into the same timetable as housing associations.
"Unless the government compels the private sector to meet the same standards, and timetable, private companies will simply try to wriggle out of their environmental duties, saying it costs too much."
Currently, around 25% of all CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere due to energy use in the home.
Indeed, it seems that recent cold and rainy weather has prompted many people in the UK to keep their central heating on throughout the summer months.
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