We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Building to Improve Energy Efficiency in England and Wales.
- Authors
Dawes, Ruth
- Abstract
Improving the energy efficiency of the building sector is regarded as a key mitigation response to climate change in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). The building sector represents the largest source of relatively quick and inexpensive CO2 emission reductions of any economic sector. Realising this potential also provides additional economic benefits, particularly in terms of increased energy security. This paper examines the implementation of the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in England and Wales. It questions the potential effectiveness of the EPBD to deliver substantial emission reductions based upon shortcomings of the two main regulatory tools within the EPBD framework. The paper also draws from literature on the 'behavioural barrier' to energy efficiency that suggests that emission reductions will be unlikely in the absence of widespread change in the way in which energy is currently used by building occupants. The analysis is timely because transitioning this sector to low to zero carbon is regarded as integral to meeting emission reduction targets set for 2020 and 2050, and protecting against the risk of severe shortages in energy supply. The potential effectiveness of the EPBD is also significant because it is representative of the forefront of regulatory techniques to address a problem of the magnitude of climate change.
- Subjects
ENGLAND; WALES; CONSTRUCTION &; the environment; ENERGY conservation in buildings -- Law &; legislation; ENERGY consumption of construction industry; EMISSION control; CLIMATE change; EUROPEAN Union
- Publication
Environmental Law Review, 2010, Vol 12, Issue 4, p266
- ISSN
1461-4529
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1350/enlr.2010.12.4.101