New Green Building Code Proposed

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) have launched a plan calling for a sustainability code for all non-domestic buildings both new and existing to mirror the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Respondingto the scheme, in a speech to environmental conference Ecobuild, Planning minister Margaret Beckett gave a welcomed the move suggesting the industry was travelling in the right direction.She said"I am very willing to listen to people coming forward with ideas to reduce carbon emissions. The industry has understood and accepted the basic arrangements needed for further investigation.”

The proposed Code for Sustainable Buildings would establish a single clear policy and regulatory framework for the built environment. Uniquely, the code would set progressively more ambitious standards over time to drive up performance. Buildings would be regularly assessed throughout their lifecycle for carbon emissions, energy usage, waste and water performance to ensure that their performance was improving.

UK-GBC chief executive Paul King explained: “At the moment the practical delivery and management of sustainable buildings is being held up by a confusing myriad of different policies, regulations, tools and standards.