In a few months, it’ll be the start of a new decade. The country should’ve achieved its sustainable housing goal before the year comes. But with 29 million homes scattered across the UK, this seems unreachable. HM’s Government believes that the country’s climate objectives won’t be achieved anytime soon without any significant changes done to the country’s housing.
The 2020 goal isn’t just about having green homes and buildings. Having eco-friendly and sustainable houses mean the materials used are either locally sourced or recycled. That means cheaper construction costs and faster construction times. Such homes have less environmental impact, too, especially with construction and drilling companies in the UK complying with environmental policies.
Even if we can’t beat the 2020 deadline, there’s an increasing interest in eco-friendly homes, especially in the country. Present and future homeowners alike can have a sustainable home on their own. With the slew of trends in eco-friendly construction, you can utilise the following to achieve your very own green housing.
Modular Homes
Popular in Germany, Japan, and Sweden, prefabricated housing is slowly taking off in the UK. About 13% of homes built in the country each year are modular, according to The Guardian. Compared to the low-quality prefabricated homes of post-war Britain, modular houses were built from high-quality materials. They also have a lower carbon footprint due to reduced emissions from material deliveries. Neighbours also won’t have any issues with noise, pollution and disruption.
Sustainable Construction Materials
Eco-friendly and sustainable construction materials are now available to use for building your dream home. Materials such as recycled bricks, reclaimed timber, and repurposed glass and plastic offer strength and longevity. Should HM’s Government implement policies that require a minimum percentage of sustainable materials in houses, you’ll be all set.
Garden Agriculture
You don’t need massive green lots to grow your food. UK homes can use their garden or any underutilised spaces in their homes to grow food. Garden agriculture can also be possible in tower blocks and condominiums through small-scale or micro-farming methods. Not only do they add a patch of greenery, they also provide foliage and better air in the concrete jungle of London.
Energy Neutrality
By constructing homes that consume less energy and adding other ways of generating power into your home–such as solar panels–you could have an energy-neutral home. Ideally, a net-zero energy house produces an amount of energy equal to how much it consumes. While this kind of home is popular in sunny California, bringing it to the UK is a good way to achieve its sustainable and eco-friendly housing goal.
Smaller Spaces
In 2018, the United Nations Environment and Yale University introduced the Ecological Living Module in New York. They presented it as a solution to the world’s housing problems with its self-sufficiency and clever use of space. The smaller the space, the smaller the carbon footprint.
Tiny houses, such as the previously mentioned Ecological Living Module, can be the UK’s sustainable solution to its housing crisis–thus, hitting two birds with one stone. These eco-friendly homes maximise the available space through crafty construction and sheer ingenuity.
Even if the country won’t achieve its sustainable housing goal in 2020, it doesn’t mean we should just give up. Developing sustainable and eco-friendly homes not only reduce the country’s carbon footprint, it can also lessen our individual environmental impact on the planet.
