Urgent upgrades needed for Ireland homes to meet net-zero targets

A new report has discovered a vast number of homes in Northern Ireland need to be equipped with energy efficient upgrades if they are to meet the 2030 net-zero goal.

The report, published by the Forum for Better Housing Marker NI last week and known as ‘New Foundations: The route to low carbon homes’, examined issues in Northern Ireland’s housing market and found that 60% of homes need to improve their energy efficient to help the region contribute towards assisting with the current climate crisis.

In addition, researchers also found that around 50,000 buildings a year must be improved to hit the target of a 56% reduction in energy-related carbon emissions from the housing sector in Northern Ireland.

With the help of research from Ulster University, experts set out recommendations to support the process of decarbonisation across the housing sector, which currently contributes to 14% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Advice includes trying to incentivise developers, construction firms and homeowners to create more energy efficient homes.

Other suggestions include retrofitting existing homes with low carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps, better insulation and a range of ‘green’ mortgage products.

David Little, Chair of the Forum for a Better Housing Market NI: ‘Homes have recorded the lowest energy performance scores compared to our neighbours and we are not on track to meet UK net-zero targets.’

Mr Little states that Northern Ireland is falling behind the rest of the UK and Ireland. The report, in which the research is published in was carried out by Professor Martin Haran, highlighted how England and Wales are tackling the issue, with ‘the Heat and Buildings Strategy 2023, pledging £3.9bn in new funding to decarbonise heat and buildings’.

Against this back drop, in 2021 the Welsh government announced it would build 20,000 low-carbon homes by 2026 while in Scotland new rules were introduced at the beginning of 2020 to ensure new houses use renewable or low-carbon heating from 2024.

Image: K. Mitch Hodge