Green shoots: UK residential real estate to take its next big leap into a sustainable future

In the United Kingdom, the perma-crisis of recent years — COVID-19, climate change and the cost­ of-living —  has thrust homes, and how they are used, into the spotlight. People have become much more aware of the cost of energy and its environ­mental impact: the importance of fresh air, the adapt­ ability of our homes and our proximity to nature.

In theory, this should be a slam dunk for invest­ment into greener, energy-efficient and resilient housing. In reality, the picture is more complex.

Firstly, until very recently, UK government policy has not provided a sufficient driver for investment. Building regulations, for example, have remained unchanged with regard to energy and carbon for the best part of a decade.

Alongside this, there is a desperate mismatch in supply and demand — hindered by a planning sys­tem in permanent turmoil — and the result is little incentive for most of the housebuilding industry to provide anything beyond minimum stand