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Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee

Environmental sustainability and housing growth

Status: Open Opened: 18 Nov 2024 45 recommendations 22 conclusions 1 report

The Environmental Audit Committee is seeking views on how the Government’s proposed reforms to national planning policy and housebuilding targets might affect environmental protections and current approaches to sustainable development.Read the terms of reference and find out how to submit written evidence through the Committee's evidence portal here .

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
6th Report - Environmental sustainability and housing growth HC 439 16 Nov 2025 67 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

10 items
5 Conclusion 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

NPPF's presumption for sustainable development prioritises economic growth over environmental protection

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
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15 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Avoid viewing nature as an inconvenience or blocker to new housebuilding projects.

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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 nature being viewed as a …
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35 Conclusion 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Green infrastructure promotion within the planning system remains insufficient despite NPPF recognition.

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 AI summary
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 the system.
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41 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Review taxation policies to incentivise homeowners, housebuilders, landlords, and tenants towards low-carbon homes.

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) Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
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43 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Accompany RICS whole life carbon assessment framework amendments with a formal statement.

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
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45 Conclusion 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Revised NPPF lacks explicit reference to embodied carbon, limiting emission reduction.

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
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46 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Update NPPF revision with clearer expectations and conduct consultation on embodied carbon reduction.

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
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47 Conclusion 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Alternative building materials effectively reduce embodied carbon and support net zero ambitions.

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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 the EU regime.
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48 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Introduce eco-labelling for building products to popularise low-carbon materials in housebuilding.

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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 for building products while it …
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52 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Acknowledged

Prioritise and incentivise building retrofitting over demolition by strengthening reuse requirements and reducing VAT.

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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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 value for money and is …
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Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
21 Jul 2025 Mary Creagh MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Matthew Pennycook MP · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Nick Barter · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, William Burgon · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government View ↗
30 Jun 2025 Eamonn Boylan · Homes England, Marian Spain · Natural England, Philip Duffy · Environment Agency View ↗
4 Jun 2025 Brian Berry · Federation of Master Builders, David King · Meadfleet, Dr Rufus Howard · Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, Emma Toovey · Environment Bank, Niall McGann · Fexco, Sue Searle · Ecology Training UK View ↗
7 May 2025 Ashley Spearing · Berkeley Group, Ben Murphy · The Duchy of Cornwall, Chris Thompson · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Kenny Duncan · Crest Nicholson View ↗
5 Feb 2025 Ben Kite · Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Charlotte Neal · Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Dr Iain Boulton · Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE), Dr John Martin · School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Dr Victoria Hills · Royal Town Planning Institute, Sarah Postlethwaite · North Northamptonshire Council View ↗
15 Jan 2025 Alistair Smyth · National Housing Federation, Becky Pullinger · The Wildlife Trusts, Charles Trew · Shelter, Ed Lockhart · Future Homes Hub, Erika Lewis · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Professor Rokia Raslan · University College London View ↗

Who gave evidence

29 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alistair Smyth · Director of Policy and Research National Housing Federation 1
Ashley Spearing · Managing Director of Development and Regeneration Berkeley Group 1
Becky Pullinger · Head of Land Use Planning The Wildlife Trusts 1
Ben Kite · Chair, Strategic Policy Panel Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management 1
Ben Murphy · Estate Director The Duchy of Cornwall 1
Brian Berry · Chief Executive Federation of Master Builders 1
Charles Trew · Head of Policy Shelter 1
Charlotte Neal · Director of Surveying Practice Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 1
Chris Thompson · Director of Clean Growth Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 1
David King · Managing Director Meadfleet 1
Dr Iain Boulton · Vice Chair Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) 1
Dr John Martin · Associate Professor School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth 1
Dr Rufus Howard · Impact Assessment Policy Lead Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment 1
Dr Victoria Hills · Chief Executive Royal Town Planning Institute 1
Eamonn Boylan · Chief Executive Homes England 1
Ed Lockhart · Chief Executive Future Homes Hub 1
Emma Toovey · Chief Land and Nature Officer Environment Bank 1
Erika Lewis · Director, Cyber Security and Digital Identity Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Kenny Duncan · Managing Director of Strategic Land Crest Nicholson 1
Marian Spain · Chief Executive Natural England 1
Mary Creagh MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister … Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Matthew Pennycook MP · Minister of State (Minister for Housing and Plann… Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1
Niall McGann · CEO Fexco 1
Nick Barter · Deputy Director for Land Use Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Philip Duffy · Chief Executive Environment Agency 1
Professor Rokia Raslan · Professor of Built Environment Decarbonisation University College London 1
Sarah Postlethwaite · Planning Ecologist North Northamptonshire Council 1
Sue Searle · Managing Director and Principal Ecologist Ecology Training UK 1
William Burgon · Director for Planning Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
11 Mar 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning relating to the gove…
26 Feb 2026 From cttee Letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government …