Home builder’s support for Government carbon emissions targets recognised

The Guardian article was in response to a freedom of information request by Unearthed, the investigations arm of the environmental charity Greenpeace. It revealed UK home builders’ response to Government plans to reduce carbon emissions.

Government targets propose that emissions should be reduced by three quarters. Thakeham were one of three housebuilders commended for higher sustainability standards, showing that housebuilding can lead the way to net zero.

The article revealed: “Barratt, Berkeley and Thakeham homes all supported the target, as did the Home Builders Federation, which represents housebuilders, according to the response released under environmental transparency laws.”

Thakeham Group chief executive officer, Rob Boughton, said: “Here at Thakeham, we make no secret of our focus on zero carbon targets. Whilst we support the Government campaign, we have introduced bigger targets of our own which exceed those set out for the house building industry.

“We have already implemented a raft of pioneering zero carbon measures to lead and inspire the industry response. We stand shoulder to shoulder with other developers who share our ambitious vision for sustainable community creation. It’s simply too important not to.”

Thakeham is a member of the House Builders Federation’s Future Homes Task Force. This cross sector body is made up of senior figures from housing and related industries. The aim is to drive uptake of new technologies and oversee the move to producing “net zero” developments.

In 2020, Thakeham launched a new threefold crusade to become Carbon Neutral by 2025. Specifically, we have pledged that every Thakeham home will be zero carbon in lifetime operation; that each home built will be carbon neutral in production; and, Thakeham Group as a whole will also be zero carbon.

Thakeham is the UK’s first housebuilder on the SME Climate Hub to join the United Nations’ ‘Race to Zero’ campaign. We are one of only five housebuilders in the construction sector globally to join the ‘Race to Zero’.

More information about the Thakeham race to Zero Carbon is available on the website www.thakeham.com/sustainability