BRE comments on the Chancellor’s fiscal statement September 2022
Gillian Charlesworth, CEO of the Building Research Establishment (BRE), commented on the Chancellor’s fiscal statement made on 23 September 2022.
“We were disappointed to see that today’s mini-budget contained no measures to improve the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings. While the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee is a welcome intervention to protect vulnerable households this winter, there is no guarantee that the volatile global gas market will steady any time soon."
“We need long term solutions to the energy price crisis which end our dependence on foreign supplies of fossil fuels, reduce overall energy demand, and support the drive to net zero.
“Retrofitting our building stock is an immediate and cost effective solution that can deliver this. Heat and energy use in our buildings makes up a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, and we are rapidly running out of time to address this if we are to meet our net zero obligations by 2050.
“Setting out a clear and credible plan to decarbonise our homes and buildings is an immediate step the Government can take to tackle the cost of living crisis, act on climate change and demonstrate global leadership.”