Legislation, regulations and policy

National provisions to reduce the UK’s impact on climate change and improve energy security are described in several pieces of current and emerging legislation:

The Climate Change Act (2008) which set a legally binding target for reducing UK carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by at least 26% by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050.

The Planning Act (2008) established a single development consent regime and a new process for major infrastructure projects.

The Energy Act (2008) creates the framework for supporting new technologies and requirements for security of supply infrastructure. Includes the regulations needed to introduce “feed-in tariffs” to support micro-generation. With the two Acts above, it helps to provide the legislative basis for implementing low carbon energy.

The Planning and Energy Act 2008. This Act is separate from the Planning or Energy Acts. It came into force in November 2008. It is applicable to local authorities in England and Wales, enabling them to set requirements for energy use and energy efficiency.

The Renewable Energy Strategy describes the measures being considered to deliver the UK’s target of generating 15% of its total energy from renewable sources by 2020, as its contribution to the EU’s 20% target. It included specific proposals for the planning system.

The Draft Heat and Energy Saving Strategy aims to ensure that emissions from all existing buildings are approaching zero by 2050. Proposed mechanisms for achieving this include a Community Energy Savings Programme.

Definition of Zero Carbon Consultation closed March 2009. It builds on the Government’s policy as set out in Building A Greener Future that all new homes should be built to zero carbon standards from 2016. The consultation also sought views on the ambition that new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon from 2019 as announced in the 2008 Budget.

Building Regulations Part L (2006) set minimum requirements for emissions and energy use from new or substantially refurbished buildings. Future updates expected to require greater CO₂ savings, approaching a zero carbon requirement for new homes by 2016 and potentially non-domestic buildings by 2019.

Code for Sustainable Homes From May 1, 2008 it became mandatory for all new homes to have a Code rating. The Code  was introduced as a nationally recognised sustainability standard for new homes, and to indicate the direction of future changes to regulations.

Code for Sustainable Buildings: Following the launch of the Code for Sustainable Homes, suggestions for a Code for non-domestic building were proposed by theUK Green Building Council in March 2009.