Entries for April 2008

North East Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall has started a campaign against light pollution.

Energy minister Malcolm Wicks has conceded that the Government target to meet some 30-40% of Britain’s power from renewables by 2020 is not realistic.

The Lords Sub-Committee’s inquiry is seeking evidence on the renewable energies target and its place within EU energy policies in general, issues related to grid access and the role of state support schemes in encouraging renewable energy generation.

The All Party Urban Development Group has announced an inquiry into what needs to be done, by both public and private sectors – to ‘green’ existing buildings in Britain’s cities.

The Government encourages the use of heating controls and the installation of a minimum set of controls is a requirement of our Building Regulations, says environment minister Joan Ruddock.

Despite the proven cost-effectiveness of energy efficient technologies, a significant proportion of potential improvements remain untapped due to numerous market barriers according to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report.

Clients and designers must take responsibility for Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs), rather than leaving it up to the contractor, says a leading environmental consultant.

Two documents have emerged from Whitehall suggesting the environmental damage that development does to land has at last re-entered the Whitehall policy debate sterilized for five years by ministers’ emphasis on house building numbers.

Government housing policy risks neglecting the climate and environmental impact of the UK’s 25 million-plus existing houses, MPs have concluded.

The definition of Zero Carbon Home has been harmonised with that used for the exemption from Stamp Duty Land Tax in the latest revisions to the Code for Sustainable Homes.

What definition DCLG uses of zero-carbon and carbon neutral respectively, ponders Conservative shadow Communities secretary Eric Pickles. 

How many solar energy panels there were in the UK in 2003, and how many panels were installed at the most recent date for which figures are available, asks Labour MP John Mann.

During CLG question time Dr Alan Whitehead, a former Labour minister, asked in cases where local authorities wish to introduce compliance with sustainable buildings code levels above the scheduled national compliance dates in their local planning frameworks, will the support and guidance to do so be provided by Government?

The Government has said that the thresholds at which businesses qualify for smart metering are too low.

The Government appears to have altered its approach to Display Energy Certificates (DECs) which are due to be introduced for publicly-funded buildings in October. The introduction of this measure is part of the implementation of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).