The government has announced that new homes and buildings in England will have to produce significantly less CO2 under new rules to help the country move towards net zero.

Under the new regulations, CO2 emissions from new build homes must be around 30% lower than current standards and emissions from other new buildings, including offices and shops, must be reduced by 27%.

However, construction industry experts said the new regulations are “a tiny and far cry from what is needed” especially considering Cop26 commitments. They argue, in particular, that allowing large building companies to use their own performance metrics does not bode well for a reduction in emissions.