Section: Sustainability & Eco Housing

News

New report highlights opportunities and challenges facing UK housing sector as it looks to meet net zero targets

Posted 01.05.24
Mears Group: Further reading

The scale of the opportunity and challenge facing the UK housing sector as it works to reach the net zero targets has been laid out by Mears Group, in its first decarbonisation report.

The report recognises that while there has been some progress, the industry is behind where it needs to be in its net zero journey.

It highlights some of the progress which has been made, including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund - which has proven to be a major catalyst for change.

The report discusses the scale of opportunity which retrofitting brings in terms of jobs. With estimates that the retrofit sector will require almost 500,000 trained professionals to deliver housing targets, there is scope for people to develop careers in this sector.

But, with an ageing workforce and ongoing skills shortages, it is vital that the benefits of joining the sector are clearly communicated and that the industry develops clear succession plans to manage the transition across the workforce.

It also highlights the importance of collaboration across the sector and with government. It recognises that with the number of properties which need to be retrofitted, estimated to be up to 29 million homes, long-term policy support is required, along with clear regulations and standards.

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