Britain's CO2 emissions could be cut by 80%

The CO2 emissions from Britain's homes could be cut by 80 per cent by 2050 but it would require massive investment and a quantum leap in commitment from the Government, according to a new report.

Almost £13bn a year for the next 10 years needed to be spent involving a complete overhaul of the national housing stock and ensuring every house in the country became energy efficient.

It would deliver huge carbon cuts from UK homes, eliminate fuel poverty, cut household power bills and create jobs, according to the Home Truths report by the Oxford Environmental Change Institute.

It slated the Government for rhetoric over cutting emissions including a blizzard of programmes and reviews, while CO2 levels had actually risen by more than five per cent since Labour came to power in 1997.

Carbon dioxide emissions from the housing sector accounted for 27 per cent of the UK's carbon footprint. In London household energy use made up 38 per cent of the total emissions produced by the city every year.

Key recommendations in the report included:

Financial incentives in the form of tax breaks and investments to ensure every UK home became low carbon leading to lower energy bills.

A roll-out of low carbon technology as well as stricter regulations on appliances, and phasing out of all lighting which didn't use low-energy bulbs.

Reform of the energy market so that householders would be guaranteed a premium price for any electricity they sell back to the grid from renewable sources such as solar panels and to ensure energy saving - not high consumption - was rewarded in tariffs.

Tough minimum standards for homes, monitored by energy performance certificates, needed to be introduced and progressively tightened.

Legally binding targets for housing emissions to be reduced by 3.7per cent each year from 2008.

Street-by-street programme of building improvements such as wall and roof insulation by local authorities in high energy use areas.

By Paul Eccleston
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