RICS reports ‘underwhelming’ commitment to green housing

The UK’s effort in going green by decarbonising its housing stock has been labelled ‘underwhelming’ by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The lack of progress is being blamed on cost barriers, though on the upside it seems more developers are now tracking the biodiversity of their projects.

In order to improve the state of the UK’s property, RICS recommends evidence-based targets, mandatory carbon assessments for all new projects, and training for built environment professionals.

It also called for national targets to aid decarbonisation, alongside the enforcement of minimum energy performance standards, building codes, and climate resilience benchmarks.

Tina Paillet, president of RICS, said:

“Last year, I described the RICS Sustainability Report as a wake-up call to our industry, pointing out that our progress on sustainability was lagging behind what is required.

“Despite that, I expressed confidence that the 2050 net-zero target was still within reach, if we pursued it wholeheartedly.

“This year’s report, however, suggests that the level of commitment necessary to meet these goals is still lacking, presenting a mixed but underwhelming picture overall.”

Paillet added:

“Credible policy interventions are essential, and regulation remains a significant factor driving green real estate investment and shaping construction practices.

“RICS will continue to champion effective regulation and the adoption of common standards across jurisdictions to simplify processes, ensure a level playing field, and ultimately drive meaningful progress on climate goals.”

A third (31%) of RICS professionals said a lack of government incentives and policy uncertainty are a main barrier preventing the widespread adoption of sustainable practices across the industry.

Other factors cited were high initial costs of green building practices and the high costs of sustainable materials.

However, on a more positive note, 22% of respondents stated that they measure biodiversity on all projects, while 31% measure it on more than 50% of projects, which are some of the highest figures globally.

Robert Toomey, senior public affairs & policy officer, said:

“RICS continues to publish relevant standards related to sustainability and decarbonisation, for both our members and the wider industry.

“As such it’s positive to see the publication of the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard, which utilises our Whole Life Carbon Assessment Standard, as well as the recent launch of the Residential Retrofit Standard in October.

“However, while there have been some successes, such as increases to biodiversity measurement; overall, we are seeing a stagnation across the sector.

“The environment that our industry operates in is set to become more uncertain, with increased global political instability and continuing economic challenges.

“Nevertheless, a greater resolve is needed by business, government and industry to ensure these challenges are met.”

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