Sustainability in Housebuilding: A Journey to Net Zero Emissions by 2050

Strategic Insights

Mar 23, 2021 — 1 min read

The UK's housebuilding industry is shifting its focus towards sustainability, driven by advances in technology, climate change, and the national target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A recent report 'Building and Buying Better Homes' conducted by Gowling WLG brings together the views of over 300 UK housebuilders and 2,000 plus homebuyers to explore the industry's commitment to more sustainable homes. The findings reveal a shared commitment among housebuilders to sustainability, with 40% having a sustainability strategy in place and buyers prioritizing sustainability alongside cost, location, and size.

Key Takeaways:

Almost half of the housebuilders surveyed (40%) have a sustainability strategy in place, highlighting a significant commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
Sustainability ranks third in buyers' list of priorities after cost, location, and size, indicating a growing demand for green homes.
50% of housebuilders expect to divert 11-30% of their profits into building green homes, indicating a willingness to invest in sustainability.
Planning authorities play a crucial role in supporting housebuilders' sustainability goals, with 61% considering sustainability at the planning stage.
Homebuyers prioritize sustainability in their homes, with 70% of respondents considering a sustainable home important or very important.
The report identifies six key areas that will affect or inform progress in the industry's journey to net zero emissions by 2050.

Statistics:

40% of housebuilders have a sustainability strategy in place.
Sustainability ranks third in buyers' list of priorities after cost, location, and size.
50% of housebuilders expect to divert 11-30% of their profits into building green homes.
61% of housebuilders consider sustainability at the planning stage.
A total of 2,000 plus homebuyers participated in the study.
70% of respondents consider a sustainable home important or very important.

Sources:

Gowling WLG: "Building and Buying Better Homes"
Mondaq: "UK Housebuilders' Commitment to Sustainability"
Gowling WLG: "Two Snowhill Snow Hill Queensway Birmingham B4 6WR UK"

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