The industry has welcomed the Climate Change Committee’s annual assessment of the government’s progress in reducing emissions, which highlighted key areas where the UK is falling behind.
The committee highlighted that the UK has one of the lowest market shares of heat pump installations in Europe.
It said the Government must ensure installations accelerate in all segments of the market by urgently addressing the gap left by the closure of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
In response Joanne Wheeler, Head of Policy at UKGBC, said: “The CCC’s message is clear: the UK cannot hit its climate targets unless we dramatically speed-up the decarbonisation of our buildings.
“Heat pump deployment has slowed, government support for low-income households AND public buildings has been cut, and electricity is still priced in a way that holds back clean heat.
“Without urgent action, we risk locking-in higher bills, inefficient homes and a widening gap to our 2030 commitments.
“But this is also a moment of huge opportunity which the incoming Prime Minister should seize. Electrification is now the cheaper, safer option, for most households, and the technologies and skills already exist to transform our homes and workplaces.
“UKGBC’s members are ready to deliver as demonstrated through our latest Whole Life Carbon Framework, and we look forward to working with ministers to build the comfortable, affordable, climate-ready buildings the UK needs.”
UKGBC has set out a number of priorities for the Government and new Prime Minister to tackle as a matter of urgency.
As the UK is hit by the second heatwave of 2026, RIBA President Chris Williamson said: “This report could not have come at a more significant moment, as the UK enters its second heatwave of the year.
“With the last three years the hottest on record, we could be set for another record-breaking year - and this is a wake-up call to act. The government cannot ignore the urgent need to push forward essential energy efficiency improvements to homes and public buildings, which are critical to protecting people’s health and wellbeing as well as reducing energy costs and cutting carbon emissions.
“Indeed, this latest report presents clear evidence that the government is not acting fast enough to cut emissions from our buildings to deliver a net zero future.
“We know that energy-efficiency building upgrades are essential, yet progress is being held back due to insufficient investment and targeted incentives. At RIBA, we've been long calling on the government to publish a comprehensive National Retrofit Strategy - that's the kind of clear action we need.
“We stand ready to work with the Government to both mitigate and adapt to climate change and ensure our buildings help deliver a greener, more resilient future.”
The Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins MP, welcomed the progress update as MPs prepared to debate the government’s latest net zero plans.
“The CCC is right to welcome the progress the government has made on reducing the UK’s emissions and to note that we are one of the countries leading the world on decarbonisation,” he continued. “But it is also right to say that the government needs a more ambitious plan to electrify the UK, to keep UK households protected from the volatile shocks to fossil fuel prices we see today. There is still more we can be doing to reduce emissions to net zero in line with our legally binding targets whilst keeping costs lower for consumers.
“The CCC highlights several measures to get there which align with those identified by my Committee: making electricity cheaper, support the transition to electric vehicles, and encourage more households to install heat pumps.
“The government’s work to bring down bills and drive fair electrification must proceed quickly and urgently if we are to address the alarming rise in extreme weather that sees much of the UK facing record breaking temperatures this week.”
