Housing is key to World’s climate change solution

At a side event in the SEC campus where the UN climate change conference is being held experts from the city and around the world discussed the impact housing has on climate change. David Orr, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, told: “There’s no way on the planet we can reach net zero without decarbonising homes.” The meeting heard that it will be expensive but necessary, to move away from fossil fuel heating methods like gas boilers.  It was also noted that the solutions to climate change cannot exacerbate existing inequalities.  Professor Brian Evans the Glasgow City Urbanist said: “Here in Glasgow climate justice and social justice are conjoined. Housing has been critical in shaping Glasgow’s wellbeing. There are an estimated 430 homes in the Greater Glasgow region that need to be retrofitted with alternatives to gas heating and with better insulation, including around 70,000 of the city’s pre 1919 tenements. Glasgow’s energy plan to reach net zero places decarbonisation front and centre if those plans.” The meeting also heard how it was not enough to build new homes to improved environmental standards if there was no action on the existing housing stock. But it was noted it had to be affordable.  Bent Madson, President of Housing Europe, said: How do we decarbonise homes in a way that is effective and affordable, fairness is the key. “Ambition should help not hurt the most vulnerable. The transition must not serve to widen social inequalities.” Sally Thomas of the Scottish Federation of Housing associations said the current model harmed the poorest. “One in three people live in fuel poverty. They need to be able to afford the changes.”