Towards Zero Carbon Homes in England? From Inception to Partial Implementation

Abstract

In 2007, the UK Government announced an ambitious zero-carbon target for all new housing in England. This paper shows how the definition and its associated policies emerged from discourses of environmental policy innovation; how the problem subsequently became framed as one of mainstreaming, consequent upon the apparent success of experimental schemes and defined in more detail through the interaction between pressure group politics and the technical analyses that accompanied the government's consultation exercises. Finally, it shows how regional and local variations in housing and property markets are likely to influence the ease of zero carbon development. The analysis uses concepts drawn from both the science and technology literature and the literature on policy implementation.

The greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation options for materials used in UK construction

“…The costs of carbon emissions are still not effectively absorbed by the emitter or consumer. There also remains scant evidence of a premium for 'green' properties in either the residential or commercial markets [106,107,108]. Furthermore, there is limited client demand for change.…”

“…A shortage of training and skills had already been repeatedly identified as a concern, with research suggesting a "quantum leap" in the industry's response is needed [101]. The recession has also resulted in restricted access to finance and weakened the financial position of many companies in the construction industry [102]. This has served to increase anxieties about cost, and force sustainability concerns down the priority list [103].…”

“…Where embodied impacts of materials are considered in current environmental assessment schemes (such as BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes), they represent a small, and often isolated, component of a larger appraisal framework incorporating a wide range of environmental factors [105]. Even where headline targets for regulation have been forthcoming, much of the policy detail, such as the definition of 'zero carbon' and changes to Part L, have either been slowly released or repeatedly revised [102]. It is clear that hesitancy and mixed messages from policy makers has undermined industry confidence and delayed investment [106].…”

Carbon regulation and pathways for institutional transition in market-led housing systems: A case study of English housebuilders and zero carbon housing policy

“…Through our focus on the English housing market, we have explored the extent to which housebuilders have recalibrated their business strategies and behaviour in response to the GovernmentÕs target for zero carbon homes. As the target and 19 associated apparatus draws on the hybrid characteristics of both eco-state restructuring and ecological modernisation (Janicke, 1986; Huber, 2010;While, 2010;Goodchild and Walshaw, 2011), we have shown how housebuilders were placed in an uncertain institutional environment where innovation was expected within strictly controlled regulatory parameters. Through the use of theories drawn from transition management (Geels and Schott, 2007; Rip and Kemp, 2008) and new institutionalism (Jordan et al, 2003;March and Olsen, 2009), we have presented an understanding of the opportunities and constraints experienced by housebuilders in the search for regulatory compliance and have offered a unique insight into the institutional dynamics and interactions of market-led housing systems within the low carbon transition, which was otherwise absent in the literature.…”

“…We suggest that whilst these approaches provide a useful entry point for unpacking pathways for change, the nature of housing market structures and processes means they are better understood in combination rather than isolation. As such we draw on those elements we find particularly persuasive in order to establish a thematic criteria for empirical analysis.The process of achieving change within the environmental policy arena necessitates the acknowledgment of technical and material constraints and the links between these and society more generally (Elzen et al, 2004;Kemp et al, 2007;Goodchild and Walshaw, 2011). These socio-technical relationships have been the subject of a growing body of literature devoted to advancing varying forms of transition management theory (Rotmens et al, 2001;Berkhout et al, 2004).…”