The UK Government last week committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the UK to almost zero by 2050. Theresa May said there was a “moral duty to leave this world in a better condition than what we inherited”.
There are many problems that stand in the way though as according to Phil Taylor, Head of Engineering at Newcastle University, ‘We have unambitious building regulations…’. The below chart shows the household emissions in 1990, 2017 and 2050.
It shows that in 2017, heating our homes was the biggest factor in household emissions, which shows that airtightness testing is very important. Low-carbon heating to homes and industries will be a major difficulty too as coal power and natural gas is phased out.
However, if all homes leak less air, meaning that less energy is needed to heat homes. It also showcases how good passive houses are, studies that are linked to them, such as the Ice Box Challenge in Australia have proved how successful they are in minimizing energy required.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48596775
