DEFRA is setting up systems which aim to give consumers and businesses information on what benefits their green energy tariffs actually deliver over and above the supplier’s existing legal obligation to supply electricity from renewable sources.

CIBSE has flagged up a potentially severe shortage of assessors needed to implement the Energy Performance of Buildings directive.

The Planning and Energy Bill, introduced to the House of Commons earlier by Conservative MP Michael Fallon, with cross-party backing, was debated in the House of Lords on 13 June.

New-build home buyers will find it increasingly difficult to insure their houses, unless better protection against floods is built in, the Association of British Insurers has warned.

Environment Minister Phil Woolas questioned Conservative leader David Cameron’s credibility on green issues. Mr Woolas said: “All we get from David Cameron on the environment are warm words and photo ops. He offers salesmanship, not leadership. The Tory leader continues to talk about introducing new green taxes ‘on pollution’ but still refuses to give any detail as to what they will be. “Labour is acting to make Britain a world leader on tackling climate change”.

The Association for the Conservation of Energy has told DCLG that its consultation on The Future of Building Control is fundamentally flawed as it fails to address the issue of improvements and compliance.

Despite a growing emphasis on sustainable building in the construction industry, now rapidly becoming mainstream through revised and new Government planning policies, regulatory reforms and Government-backed initiatives such as BREEAM, Dr Paul K Hatchwell finds little hard data on how well these changes are reflected in actual building performance.

Criminal sanctions should be employed to punish severe environmental offences and EU legislation in this field should be consistently applied. A European Commission proposal for a directive has now achieved a first-reading agreement between Parliament and the Council of Ministers, which means that it will be fast-tracked to final approval.

The House of Commons will resume its scrutiny of the final Parliamentary stages of the Planning Bill, on 2 June, when its returns from the Whitsun recess.

The 2002 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is currently being revised by the European Commission which is holding a public consultation on the options. The EPBD has been responsible in the UK for substantial increases in building standards and also for energy certification.