Report on decarbonising homes in Wales informed by Welsh School of Architecture research is presented to the First Minister
30 July 2019
Over the last 18 months a team from the Welsh School of Architecture led by Dr Ed Green and Dr Simon Lannon has conducted research into the decarbonisation of the entire Welsh housing stock.
The research directly informed an independent report; ‘Better Homes, Better Wales, Better World’, presented to the Welsh Housing Minister and First Minister Mark Drakeford on 18 July. The work was then discussed at a packed conference organised by Community Housing Cymru.
The report calls on the Welsh Government to commit to a 30-year programme to reduce carbon emissions in all homes across Wales, and sets ambitious energy targets to achieve net zero carbon across the housing sector by 2050. Receiving the report, Minister for Housing and Local Government Julie James said:
“I welcome the Advisory Group’s recommendations and want to thank Chris and all members of the Group for their expertise and insight. Making our homes greener and more energy efficient will be challenging, especially when you consider that Wales has the oldest and least thermally efficient housing in the UK and Europe. But with this challenge also comes enormous opportunities - lower fuel bills, improved air quality, more comfortable homes, better health, new jobs and skills. We have to be ambitious and creative if we’re going to achieve the change we need.”
The ‘Better Homes, Better Wales, Better World’ report’s recommended targets, will be explored in the Autumn following the Minister’s response. Dr Lannon and Dr Green’s research ‘Homes of today for tomorrow: Decarbonising Welsh Housing between 2030-50’ is now available to view online.