SEA Advises Government to Address Policy Gaps to Achieve Net Zero by 2050

THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION (SEA) has published a report outlining the remaining policy gaps and steps the Government must take to achieve net zero by 2050

The SEA welcomes the monumental shift in the UK government’s focus, with Net Zero on the policy agenda. It is a major step in the right direction. However, there are still numerous gaps that need to be addressed to help us realise this vision.

Policy Gaps Net Zero

The SEA report identifies four core areas of focus and makes several recommendations to achieve the ambitious net zero by 2050 target and delivering buildings fit for the future.

• Address the able to pay sector as this key stakeholder group is crucial to facilitate the movement away from a heavy reliance on government funding into an independent retrofit market which is self-sufficient and delivers at scale.
• Tackle the lack of consumer and supply chain knowledge & skills of low-carbon technologies compared to traditional fossil fuel heating systems. The government must ensure there is a competent workforce capable of designing, building, and retrofitting to deliver energy efficient, net zero carbon, healthy homes, and buildings.
• The SEA advocates a fabric first, technology agnostic approach. Therefore, low-carbon technologies, and energy efficiency measures that meet the space and water heating demands of the building in question and lead to the right outcomes, should be supported by government schemes.
• The Government and industry must work together to form a definitive National Retrofit Strategy, setting out the policies and programmes required to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings, with realistic timescales for implementation, and which places energy efficiency at the heart of the UK’s Net-Zero target.

Jade Lewis, Chief Executive of SEA said: “The SEA is committed to eliminating fuel poverty and ensuring all homes are energy efficient, net zero carbon, warm and healthy. As the first major country to pass net zero emissions law, the UK government has a unique opportunity to demonstrate how a nation can do it correctly. We would welcome collaborating with the Government and key industry stakeholders to develop the next phase of policy and help deliver homes and buildings fit for future generations.”

The Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) is a membership organisation made up of manufacturers, energy suppliers, housing providers, installers, innovators, and other organisations with expertise on energy in buildings. In a world of finite resources, the SEA exists to help create living and working spaces fit for future generations.

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