Will the United Kingdom's New Houses Really be Zero-Carbon?

The United Kingdom has made a commitment to have all new homes be zero-carbon buildings by 2016.  A debate, however, has sparked up over whether or not the government will really design a program that will develop zero-carbon housing.

Renowned environmental journalist George Monbiot recently wrote an article that states the Zero-Carbon Hub, the commission that has been established to create the regulations for new building standards, has defined a "zero-carbon home" as one that cuts its emissions by 44% compared to 2006 building regulations.

Monbiot declares the government has recognized that it cannot meet the mark of producing a zero-carbon home, but it does not want to redefine the label to "56%-carbon homes."

The UK's minister of housing, Grant Shapps, replied to Monbiot's charges in an article with The Guardian newspaper.  Shapps says the government is not back-pedaling on its initiative; rather it is doing its due diligence in developing a solid program.  Shapps states Monbiot's "plucking of figures" from the Zero-Carbon Hub's recent consultation report is misleading the public.

Shapps concludes his response by saying: "I want to reassure everyone who's eager to see greener homes -- change is on the its way, and ver soon I'll be setting out our progress towards achieving a zero carbon approach, and the next steps we'll be taking."

Image credit: Robert Edwards via Creative Commons Licence