Written by:
John Jackson
Section Editor
According to the UK Energy Research Council, it will take some 235 years to achieve zero emissions from buildings if we continue decarbonisation at the current rate. When you consider that the UK has nearly 30 million existing homes, that will require retrofitting if we are to achieve the zero carbon emissions from buildings target by 2050, the scale of the challenge becomes fully apparent.
In Wales residential buildings are responsible for 7.5% of our total emissions, as highlighted in the plan: Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales, published by the Welsh Government in 2019. This is a key document and covers not just the need to decarbonise housing but all aspects of our built environment. I would recommend reading this in full as it illustrates the commitment in Wales to tackling climate change, and also the sheer volume of activity in terms of policy, planning, programmes and initiatives being undertaken to reduce emissions and help us achieve our low carbon ambitions.
The report does also illustrate just how much work needs to be undertaken as we transform into a low carbon nation.
This transformation is being underpinned by the following vision set out in the plan:
“In 2050, Wales will be among the best places in the world to live, learn, work and do business. Our businesses, public services, third sector and government will have worked together to achieve the goals that we set in the ground-breaking Well-being of Future Generations Act and the target to reduce emissions by at least 80% against the 1990 baseline. We will have thought more about the long-term, worked better together, taken early action and engaged with citizens on this journey to a low carbon economy and society. Wales will have faced up to the complex challenges outlined in our Future Trends reports. We will have created quality jobs that are future-proofed for the globalised low carbon economy and have the right growth and skills to lift people out of poverty whilst at the same time improve their health and local environment. Our environment and communities will be more resilient to major environmental problems, such as addressing declining biodiversity. We will be healthier, achieving our potential and making Wales a more equal society.
We will have reduced our emissions in part by changing the products we buy, use and produce. We will have spent years doing things differently, looking forward so the choices we make will have secured a safe and prosperous future for ourselves and future generations. We will have been clear and consistent in describing the Wales we want, through setting long-term frameworks that provide clarity and certainty for low carbon investment.
There will be different energy systems that will be ready to fully exploit the inter-relationships and synergies between the power, heat and transport sectors. We will also see greater energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, and the use of new building fabrics turning buildings into power stations.
Through localised production we will be harnessing more direct benefits to our local communities through skills, quality jobs and a greater retention of economic value. Our buildings will be more resource efficient and designed for adaptability and deconstruction at the end of their lives. Thanks to designing and running our buildings differently, buildings will be cheaper to run and people will be able to adapt to their buildings easily so they can stay in their homes longer in life.
In terms of our waste, we will have moved from a model of use and disposal to one where we recover and regenerate in new ways to create new products. Our businesses and industries will use resources more efficiently, as well as grasping the market opportunities from a
low carbon global economy and driving world-leading innovation and solutions. We will be more efficient and have less impact in the way we produce our food and manage our land and natural resources. We will have capitalised on the opportunities for carbon storage through increased tree cover. Walking and cycling will be common for more people, improving the health and safety of the nation. Public transport will be clean and efficient, stimulating local industries.
Signatories to the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals will have responded to their international commitments and cut their emissions. We will have learnt from what has worked elsewhere and found our own solutions, drawing on the strength of our local communities and building on our shared values.”
I wouldn’t normally include a quote of this length, however in this instance I do believe that the Vision for a low carbon Wales illustrates just how extensive the planned transformation will be, and how this has the potential to create significant new training, employment and business opportunities to ensure we achieve our ambitions for the future.
Without question decarbonisation means change, particularly in the way we build, heat and power our homes, and compared to the uncertainty that Covid-19 and Brexit presents for the business community, decarbonisation is one priority that business can proactively plan to be a part of with far more certainty. This is the direction of travel we are taking in Wales, and I’d urge anyone involved in the building industry to take time to consider how your business will adapt, if not embrace, decarbonisation. The Welsh Government are further showing their commitment to the environment by running a series of events and conferences as part of Welsh Climate Week. These free to attend virtual events are running between 2nd and 6th November and all you need to do is register.
Wales has a plan in place, at the same time the UK Energy Research Council is suggesting that the rate of decarbonisation needs to increase dramatically, the business community are being faced with multiple challenges, and we’re living in the shadow of a pandemic. I don’t think anyone would underestimate the complexity this set of circumstances is presenting us with. Ultimately our way of living is going to change, because it needs to change if we are to succeed tackling the climate emergency. We can’t override nature, and whilst the environment has absorbed our emissions we can see the planet is now struggling, here in the UK, according to the Met Office, the top 10 warmest years have all occurred since 2002. A simple yet worrying statistic that I personally believe makes it imperative for us all to embrace decarbonisation.
