A new report claims that three-quarters of the UK development industry think the government’s zero-carbon targets for the sector are unrealistic.
The Hitting the Green Wall report, by the British Property Federation, law firm Taylor Wessing and research consultancy Spada, highlights the need for closer industry-government collaboration.
The study, which surveyed more than 7,000 individuals, also found that the importance of sustainability had held steady during the recession.
Some 76% of respondents thought the government’s plans to make all new housing zero carbon by 2016 were unrealistic, though respondents were also convinced that regulation was most likely to drive progress in the future.
More than 68% said sustainability remained important, though the figure for contractor respondents dropped by 10% from last year’s report.
Less than half of respondents said they were communicating sustainability performance quite well or very well.
