Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
5
Conclusion
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
We have heard strong and repeated concerns that the environment could be sidelined in the presumption for sustainable development, and that the current revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) could result in unsustainable and speculative development. The evidence we received suggests that the presumption in favour of sustainable …
Government response. The government acknowledges the challenge of balancing competing land needs and states that a new national infrastructure spatial tool is being developed to integrate strategies, data, and tools, including environmental considerations, for housing, growth, and land use.
15
Recommendation
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
The Government must not veer down the path of viewing nature as an inconvenience or blocker to housebuilding. In most cases housing delivery is delayed or challenged due to unclear and conflicting policies, land banking and skills shortages. Using nature as a scapegoat means that the Government will be less …
Government response. The government responds by detailing the monitoring and reporting requirements for the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) and Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), asserting that these robust safeguards will ensure positive environmental outcomes are secured alongside development, implicitly addressing the concern about …
35
Conclusion
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
We recognise and welcome the recognition of the importance of green infrastructure in the latest revision of the NPPF. However, we heard that more can be done to promote it within the planning system. (Conclusion, Paragraph 126)
Government response. The government agrees on strengthening early career pathways, expanding graduate schemes, and supporting professionals in planning, including ecology-related roles, to ensure the planning system has the necessary expertise, but does not directly detail new measures to promote green infrastructure within …
41
Recommendation
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
The Government should consider what other steps it could take to encourage low-carbon approaches to building, including reviewing taxation policies to incentivise home owners, housebuilders, landlords and tenants to favour homes with lower levels of embodied carbon. (Recommendation, Paragraph 143)
Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of addressing embodied carbon and is assessing evidence to consider the best way forward, while also keeping all taxes under review.
43
Recommendation
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
We would encourage any amendments made to the RICS whole life carbon assessment framework to be accompanied with a formal statement, detailing the amendments and confirming that they have been approved to become part of the UK industry standard. This will ensure clarity for stakeholders and reinforce the updates made …
Government response. The government is not currently considering adopting the RICS methodology as the UK industry standard for whole-life carbon assessments, but will keep it under review.
45
Conclusion
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
The revised NPPF does not contain explicit reference to embodied carbon, despite a widely held opinion that the NPPF must play a central role in supporting low-carbon housing. This oversight limits the NPPF’s ability to minimise carbon emissions from new buildings and undermines efforts to meet the UK’s emission reduction …
Government response. The government published a consultation on a new NPPF in December 2025, including proposed changes to climate change policies. They are still reviewing the evidence on measuring embodied carbon and considering policy options, citing other related initiatives already underway.
46
Recommendation
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
The December 2024 revision of the NPPF should be updated to include clearer and stronger expectations on embodied carbon for new developments. The current Government should also honour the promise made by the previous Government and conduct a consultation on how embodied carbon should be measured and reduced in UK …
Government response. The government published a consultation on a new NPPF in December 2025, including proposed changes to climate change policies. They are still reviewing the evidence on measuring embodied carbon and considering policy options, citing other related initiatives already underway.
47
Conclusion
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
Alternative building materials, such as timber and hemp, offer practical and effective ways to reduce the embodied carbon of buildings. Their use supports Government ambitions to reach net zero and continue to deliver on their sustainable housing target, in addition to stimulating economic growth through the development of relatively nascent …
Government response. The government believes more can be done to encourage sustainable practices across the construction products sector, while considering safety, productivity, innovation and growth. The government references the Construction Products Reform White Paper and says it intends to remain aligned with …
48
Recommendation
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
Whilst the Government has taken initial steps to promote timber through the Timber Construction Roadmap, there remains a lack of clear incentives and guidance to encourage the adoption of low-carbon material in housebuilding. The Committee believes the Government should take a more active role in shaping how low carbon materials …
Government response. The government states that more can be done to encourage, incentivise, and implement environmental and sustainable practices across the construction products sector, and that it intends to remain aligned to the EU regime, but stops short of committing to eco-labelling …
52
Recommendation
6th Report - Environmental sustainabili…
Acknowledged
Government should prioritise and incentivise retrofitting over demolition by strengthening requirements to reuse, repurpose and refurbish buildings before any demolition. It is contrary to the Government’s environmental objectives to incentivise carbon-intensive new building over the re-use of existing sites. To encourage the retrofit and repurposing of existing buildings, the VAT …
Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of reusing existing buildings and states that it encourages this through the VAT system with a reduced rate of 5% for certain residential renovations, but states that any further reduction in VAT rates must represent …