The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is correct to highlight that the Government’s missing retrofit strategy remains a barrier to green the nation’s homes and upskill the workforce in order to deliver a truly sustainable built environment, says the FMB in response to the EAC’s recent Building to Net Zero report.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said:

“I welcome the Environmental Audit Committee’s (EAC) conclusion that a retrofit strategy and complementary upskilling programme will be vital if we are to reach net zero by 2050. Fortunately, the Construction Leadership Council has already provided a blueprint for this National Retrofit Strategy, that would save 84.9Mt carbon emissions by 2040; unlock 500,000 new jobs; and help level up communities right across the country. At a time when consumers’ energy bills are spiralling upwards, these measures have never been so urgent.”

Berry concluded:

“I wholeheartedly join the EAC in urging the Government to bring forward a credible long-term retrofit strategy, that incorporates the necessary upskilling needed within the sector, before the Summer Recess. With 29 million leaky and energy inefficient homes across the UK, the clock is ticking if we are to reach net zero by 2050.”