An investigation into zero-carbon planning policy for new-build housing

Joe Forde, Mohammed Osmani and Craig Morton

Energy Policy, 2021, vol. 159, issue C

Abstract: Housing represents a critical sector globally in the drive to reduce carbon emissions with many countries adopting building energy standards to lower the carbon emissions of new build housing. However, ambition is often inadequate when considering the long-life time of homes built today. Globally, many regional or local authorities are taking action to improve the performance standards of new build housing beyond national requirements, though application within nations is heterogeneous. Understanding of why adoption of performance standards displays this diversity represents a research gap. The present work sets out to determine why the application of local planning powers relating to lowering emissions in new-build housing have been inconsistently implemented within local level planning policy. This is achieved through an explanatory sequential mixed method design targeted towards all local authorities within the case study nation of England. It is found that uncertainty following the withdrawal of national level agendas has led to a policy void for many local authorities, with many now suffering from a lack of policy power to enforce lower carbon standards. Drivers of heterogeneous uptake of standards at a local level have international relevance and indicate the need for clear central governance to facilitate local level ambition.

Keywords: Zero carbon homes; Planning policy; New build housing; Carbon mitigation; Local authority; Local government (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:159:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521005218

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112656

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