Press Releases

In response to the UK Government's Powering Up Britain report, BPF Chief Executive Melanie Leech said:

“Today’s report is another statement of intent when what we need is urgent action.

 “If Government is serious about achieving net-zero by 2050 there must be more recognition of the challenges in decarbonising the built environment, which accounts for around 25% of UK emissions. 

“While the report acknowledges the planning ‘bottleneck’ in updating historic and listed buildings, there must be more urgency in aligning the planning system to the net zero agenda and a national retrofit strategy that supports and incentivises green refurbishment. 

“We also need clarity on minimum energy efficiency standards and regulation that establishes a clear and consistent methodology for measuring the environmental performance of a building over its full life cycle, which will guide the property sector in how to approach development and refurbishment. 

“The property sector is fully committed to net-zero but Government must seize the moment and deliver bolder and more ambitious policies that will support the rapid change needed.”