The Labour Party Annual Conference 2023
SME4Labour fringe: Sustainable Housing for the Future: Achieving Net Zero Emissions – A Dialogue on Home Building, Innovation, and Environmental Stewardship
🗓 Date: Sunday, 8 October 2023
⏳ Time: 9:00
📍Location: SME4Labour POD (Meeting Room 22), ACC Liverpool, Kings Dock Street, Liverpool, England, L3 4FP
SME4Labour fringed: Sustainable Housing for the Future: Achieving Net Zero Emissions – A Dialogue on Home Building, Innovation, and Environmental Stewardship with Jack Abbott, Labour PPC for Ipswich; Louise Hutchins, U.K. Green Buildings Council and Olivia Blake MP. This panel discussion was chaired by Cllr Margaret Mullane, Labour PPC for Dagenham and Rainham.
Olivia Blake emphasized the significance of housing in carbon emissions and the need for urgent retrofitting to address poorly insulated homes. She proposed seizing the opportunity for a green jobs revolution by upskilling workers to insulate homes, promoting whole-house retrofitting and supplying green energy through a publicly owned clean energy company. Local councils would play a crucial role in improving energy efficiency across the country. Blake stressed the need for decarbonizing housing to meet climate goals and called for a coherent industrial strategy to support local government and smaller businesses in decarbonization efforts. Scaling up retrofitting and eliminating fuel poverty can address both climate and cost of living issues, demonstrating ambition to voters and unlocking the potential of young people while providing lifelong skills for transitioning from less carbon-efficient industries.
Louise Hutchins, representing the UK Green Building Council, stressed the importance of addressing climate emissions in the built environment, which is a significant source of carbon emissions. She refuted Rishi Sunak’s claims that the transition to insulate homes and shift to low-carbon energy is unaffordable, asserting that it is entirely feasible. The UK Green Building Council called for a ten-year mission to transform the entire built environment, promoting energy efficiency. SMEs and an innovation forum contribute to this mission by fostering new ideas, technology, and collaboration. Hutchins highlighted the need for supportive regulations and increased investment in upgrading homes, underscoring that such initiatives are vital for the environment and cost of living.
Jack Abbott emphasized the importance of reducing energy consumption in the transition to renewable energy and achieving net-zero emissions. He refuted the notion that reducing consumption means lifestyle restrictions, instead emphasizing the role of sustainable, efficient housing in lowering energy use and reducing bills. Abbott criticized the UK government for long-term decisions that neglected insulation and energy efficiency, contributing to increased energy costs. He highlighted the need to insulate homes quickly, address the worst insulated housing stocks in Western Europe, and invest in domestic battery storage to integrate renewable technologies efficiently.
In summary, the discussions centred on the urgency of retrofitting poorly insulated homes to reduce carbon emissions. The proposed green jobs revolution focuses on upskilling workers, whole-house retrofitting, and clean energy provision. A ten-year mission was emphasized to enhance energy efficiency in the built environment. Reducing energy consumption through sustainable housing was underscored as crucial for achieving net-zero emissions.
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