Northern Powerhomes: A green recovery plan to decarbonise homes in the North

Article

There is huge potential for economic stimulus provided by a programme of housing decarbonisation in the north of England. Not only are warmer, healthier homes with lower emissions crucial to our journey to a net zero carbon future, but they could also form a key element in the government’s efforts to ‘level up’ the North’s economy in a time of pandemic.

Direct emissions from housing need to be reduced by 24 per cent by 2030 to meet the UK’s Paris Agreement commitments, and further impetus is required to meet the legally binding net zero 2050 target, let alone the 2030-2040 targets of many of the North’s local authorities. But sufficient progress is not being made and a fresh drive is needed to decarbonise housing.

Many people in the North have been left behind with regional inequalities set to worsen in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Poor housing (the worst in Europe) combined with low incomes and rising unemployment have left many people with a bleak future. A new ambitious programme of decarbonising the North’s housing, starting with social housing providers, could help restart the recovery and provide a much needed plan for a specific economic intervention that contributes to the government's much-discussed agenda of ‘levelling up’.

Related items

  1. A row of international flags flying in the breeze outside a building in Paris on a sunny day

    Diversifying diplomacy: UK strategy in a fragmenting world

    How the UK might build more durable international partnerships in energy, defence and technology.
  2. A 'To Let' sign outside a row of houses on a residential street, UK

    High housing costs in the private rental sector: The case for action

    45 per cent of all private renters in the UK have unaffordable rents. It's time for the government to act to limit rent increases.
  3. A wide shot of several large commercial vessels, including oil tankers and a survey boat, floating on turquoise water. In the background, an industrial shoreline with numerous smokestacks and refinery infrastructure is visible under a cloudy sky. Concept of global logistics, maritime industry, and international trade.

    Price caps and economic stability: How to manage the Iran war energy shock?

    The Iran war energy shock will impose significant costs on the UK economy, even if the government does not offer a universal support package.