My three more New Year green resolutions – Part Two

With many people making New Year’s resolutions this month environment expert Ron Fox, of Noreus Ltd, gives three more of his green suggestions to help the UK reduce our carbon footprint.

Reward green householders: My third resolution is that householders who pay to make their newly-bought properties more energy efficient should be given tax rebates.

He said he agreed with a group of mortgage lenders who have put their ideas in a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

Representatives from the TSB, the Coventry Building Society, Paragon and Aldermore Bank say that anyone who improves their home to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or higher should be allowed to claim back part or all of the stamp duty they paid for the property.

The lenders, who between them have a mortgage book of £120 billion, say this incentive will encourage as many houses as possible to reach grade C by 2035 and help reduce the UK’s carbon emissions.

Ron pointed out that 60 per cent of the housing stock remained beneath this standard and that repairs to properties to make them less draughty and better insulated were unaffordable for many residents.

The government has already confirmed that landlords will have to meet an EPC rating of band C by 2030 but have not yet confirmed any targets for owner occupiers.

Call for concrete garden tax: My fourth resolution is to support an idea to tax people who concrete over their gardens. The proposal is detailed in a document entitled The London Climate Resilience Review, which has been produced by scientists and commissioned by the city mayor Sadiq Khan.

The report said Londoners should face a financial penalty for covering over a green area, but they should be offered incentives to remove paving on their land. Three years ago, some of the capital’s hospitals, Tube stations and roads were closed after flash floods which were made worse by impermeable surfaces in people’s gardens. This had also led to ill-feeling among neighbours.

The report said London was particularly vulnerable due to its clay rich soil, density of infrastructure and buildings, plus its high exposure to heat and drought. It also pointed out that about 43 per cent of homes in London were also likely to be affected by subsidence by the end of the decade.

The mayor said he would take the proposals forward in the coming months.

“I think it is an excellent idea to give residents incentives to make their gardens more environmentally friendly, adding colour to their community and most importantly to help in the fight against climate change,” said Ron. “I also believe this idea should be extended nationwide.”

Phase out urban wood burners: My fifth resolution is for wood burners in urban homes to be phased out to protect children’s health.

It follows a report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) who said air pollution is now the second leading risk factor for death in children under five, both nationally and globally.

“I agree with the college,” said Ron, “who want the government to phase out domestic wood burning in urban areas and to help rural residents to move away from wood as a primary heating source.”

A growth in the popularity of wood-burning stoves and open fires among many families has made them Britain’s biggest source of PM2.5 emissions, one of the most harmful air pollutants.
Ron said the problem is that children are more vulnerable as they breathe in more air than adults in proportion to their weight. As they were closer to the ground they breathed in more air from vehicle exhaust fumes.

For more advice on green energy and recycling contact Ron Fox, of Noreus Ltd which is based at Keele University’s Science and Innovation Park, on 0845 474 6641 or go to www.noreus.co.uk. In the meantime, have a happy and peaceful January.

Part 3 next week

Caption: Flagging up a problem with concrete gardens.