Building firms, product manufacturers and suppliers could stand to tap into a new market worth between £3.5 and £6.5 billion per year if the UK developed policies, skills programmes, and financial incentives to upgrade our existing housing stock to make it greener and more energy efficient says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

In addition a refurbished housing stock would help reduce escalating household energy bills as well as making a real difference to climate change. These are the conclusions from a new research report, 'Building A Greener Britain-Transforming Britain's Housing Stock' , commissioned by the FMB from the Environmental Change Institute, at Oxford University.

-- Advertisement --

The FMB's campaign, 'Building A Greener Britain', which is endorsed by the Prime Minister, David Cameron MP, and Nick Clegg MP, is about how best the building sector can work with other stakeholders including government to bring about a low carbon built environment. The new research carried out by Gavin Killip sets out a series of practical recommendations about what needs to be done to promote the refurbishment of the existing 26 million homes in this country to make them greener and more energy efficient.

The report argues that the Government needs to make a commitment now to upgrade our existing homes to make them greener. The Government needs to start a process of innovation, skills development, and capacity building in the construction industry that is consistent with its aim to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.

(CD/JM)