The UK Government has set the goal of reaching ‘Zero Carbon’ by 2060. It introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) in April 2007 as a significant aspect of its strategy to achieve this, not least because the 21 million homes in the UK are responsible for 27% of CO2 emissions, and homes built from today onwards will represent one-third of the total housing stock by 2060.

The CfSH sent a strong signal for house builders to put zero carbon development at the top of their agenda. The scheme includes tightening building and planning rules, for example a Code Level 3 is required for all Housing Corporation Funded schemes. It is now mandatory that all new homes are rated against the CfSH criteria in relation to energy, water, materials, surface water run-off, waste and pollution. In theory each new home is assessed individually and required to undergo a post construction review. A certificate stating the Code level has to be included in Home Information Packs for potential buyers of all homes.

In Buildingtalk this week, we have featured an example of how new products on the market impact the CfSH. We have an interesting article from Excel Industries. Excel make Warmcel, an insulation material manufactured from recycled newsprint which contains a large amount of sequestered carbon. This carbon is effectively locked away in the paper. Using it to produce useful insulation prevents this sequestered carbon being released, essentially capturing the carbon. This is quite important as according to the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Warmcel rates as ‘better than Zero Carbon’.

Excel Industries have a campaign running called ‘Aim Lower’. They claim that ’specifying Warmcel instead of more traditional forms of insulation could deliver a further 1% reduction in the carbon emitted throughout the lifetime of the building’. You can follow the link on the summary below to find out more.

The construction sector in the UK and overseas has been heavily affected by the global economic crisis. However, major land regeneration projects around the world continue to develop. Among many examples, projects associated with the 2012 Games in London and the Commonwealth Games in 2014 in Glasgow which are progressing well.

CIRIA have their annual contaminated land conference on 14th October 2009 in London. It aims to guide land regeneration professionals on how to secure funding for brownfield sites and regeneration projects, plus how to increase the value of land and improve the use of unoccupied sites. I aim to be at this conference, so do be in touch if you would like to meet and discuss this topic or anything relating to Buildingtalk.

Finally, if you are interested in the history of how building were constructed, the conference is being held at America Square Conference Centre in the heart of the City of London. You can take a look at a significant section of the original London wall dating from AD200 which runs the full width of the building.
This comment was originally published in the Buildingtalk Newsletter