Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, has petitioned housebuilders and councils to make carbon neutral housing a reality within 10 years.

The minister also urged partners in the industry to follow suit and 'sign the green pledge' by emailing her department. According to the minister, key members of the homebuilding industry, councils, green groups and homeless organisations have apparently given their support to the Government's housing agenda by signing up to Communities and Local Government's 2016 Commitment.

The parties agreed that by 2016, all new homes will be built to zero carbon standards and that over the interim period, new homes will be built to increasingly higher environmental standards.

Ms Cooper said: "We desperately need to tackle the threat of climate change - and we desperately need new homes for young families and first time buyers. Our homes currently produce 27 per cent of all carbon emissions. We were the first country in the world to announce a zero-carbon target for new homes."

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The Minister also revealed a top 20-league table for housebuilders, topped by The Berkley Group, Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey.

The announcements are in stark contrast to recent findings by the Environmental Audit Committee warning the Government was failing to meet its self-imposed climate targets.

Bad news for the Government's 'green' policies continue with an announcement by the EU for plans to fine the UK for over reliance on landfill when disposing of material waste. By not responding quickly enough to an EU directive on landfill practices, the Government could be fined up to a total of £180m per year, all of which will come from the pocket of the tax-payer.

A report by the Public Accounts Committee claims the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had been too slow to react to the directive despite the fact the UK was given a four year extension to the EU timetable because of its historic over reliance on landfill.

The committee's report, calls for people to be encouraged to recycle more, but also recommends building new energy-from-waste power plants capable of processing up to 15m tonnes each year.

(DW/JM)