Less carbon, more cash

SIR – We congratulate George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on his recent electoral success. As leaders of businesses and industry groups from the construction, retrofitting and property sectors, we can declare a remarkable consensus on the economic benefits of reducing carbon emissions from buildings.

Energy used in constructing and running homes and other buildings accounts for over a third of Britain’s total emissions. Yet our sector can offer cost-effective carbon reductions that are not only compatible with continuing reduction of the deficit, but also present a major opportunity for economic growth.

Making buildings energy-efficient stimulates economic activity, strengthens international competitiveness and creates thousands of jobs, mostly with small local businesses. It lowers costs for businesses and householders, and reduces the burden on the NHS. More cost-effective than increasing generation, it safeguards Britain’s energy security.

We strongly welcome the commitments in the Conservative manifesto to support the Climate Change Act and to push for a strong global climate deal in Paris later this year. But the Government will also need four long-term policies for our sector.

First it should recognise energy efficiency as a national infrastructure priority and allocate infrastructure funds for a national retrofit programme.

Secondly, it should fulfil its commitment to make all new homes zero carbon from 2016 and all new non-domestic buildings so from 2019.

Thirdly, minimum energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector from 2018 should be effectively enforced.

Lastly, the Government should outline how it intends to meet the third and fourth “carbon budgets”, and introduce an ambitious fifth carbon budget which is in line with the recommendations from the Committee on Climate Change.

Julie Hirigoyen
Chief Executive, UK Green Building Council

Joanne Wade
Director, Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE)

Keith Exford
Chief Executive, Affinity Sutton

Pat Ward
Chief Executive, Aggregate Industries UK

Matt Pullen
Country Director, AkzoNobel UK

Nick Molho
Executive Director, Aldersgate Group

Gary Newman
Executive Chair, Alliance for Sustainable Building Products

David Partridge
Managing Partner, Argent (Property Development) Services LLP

Tristram Carfrae
Deputy Chairman, Arup

John Hughes
Managing Director, Ask Property Developments

Patrick Bellew
Principal, Atelier Ten

Graham Cash
Chief Executive, BAM Construct UK

Mark Clare
Group Chief Executive, Barratt Developments

Rab Bennetts
Director, Bennetts Associates

Sarah Ratcliffe
Programme Director, Better Buildings Partnership

Malcolm Whetstone
Chief Operating Officer, Bilfinger GVA

Nicolas Guérin
Managing Director, Bouygues Development

Peter Bonfield
Chief Executive, BRE

Richard Francis
Chairman, Environmental Sustainability Group, British Council for Offices

Edward Cooke
Director of Policy and Public Affairs, British Council for Shopping Centres

Melanie Leech
Chief Executive, British Property Federation

Helen Dickinson
Director General, British Retail Consortium

Hamish Macleod
Director of Public Affairs, BSW Timber

David Dryden
Chairman, Cundall

Alan Somerville
Director, Head of Strategic Energy and Sustainability EMEA, DTZ

Tony Cocker
Chief Executive Officer, E.On UK

Ed Matthew
Director, Energy Bill Revolution

John Craggs
Deputy Chief Executive, Gentoo Group

Peter Connolly
Chief Executive, Igloo Regeneration

Rob Boogaard
Chief Executive, Interface

Mark Stupples
UK Chief Operating Officer, JLL

Dave Sheridan
Chief Executive, Keepmoat

Richard Gillies
Chief Sustainability Officer, Kingfisher

John Sinfield
Managing Director, Knauf Insulation Northern Europe

Cyrille Ragoucy
Chief Executive, Lafarge Tarmac

Bill Hughes
Head of Real Assets, Legal & General Property

Dan Labbad
Chief Executive Officer, International Operations, Lend Lease

Bill Rumble
Chief Commercial Officer, Mark Group

Mike Barry
Director of Sustainable Business, Marks and Spencer

Donald Daw
Joint Managing Director, Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems UK

Gill Payne
Director of Policy and External Affairs, National Housing Federation

Sunand Prasad
Senior Partner, Penoyre & Prasad

Gill Webber
Director of Communications & Outreach, RIBA

Peter Rickaby
Director, Rickaby Thompson

Peter Hindle
Senior Vice-President, Sustainable Habitat, Saint-Gobain, and General Delegate, Saint-Gobain (UK, Ireland and South Africa)

David Sleath
Chief Executive, Segro

Ivo Schaedler
General Manager, Sika

Tony Aikenhead
Director of Operations, Sir Robert McAlpine

Dave Sowden
Chief Executive, Sustainable Energy Association

John Carter
Chief Executive, Travis Perkins Group

Tim Cobbold
Chief Executive Officer, UBM

Lindsay Harvey
President (UK and Ireland), UTC Building & Industrial Systems

Alex Flach
Construction and Maintenance Director, Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants

Rob Lambe
Managing Director, Willmott Dixon

Neil Schofield
Head of External Affairs, Worcester Bosch