Domestic carbon reduction strategies to be discussed in Carbon Co-op's upcoming online seminar
News Article: Retrofitting UK Homes: A Community-Driven Approach
The UK is gearing up for a major home retrofitting initiative, with at least 15 million homes needing to be upgraded before the end of this decade, as per the UK Green Building Council [1]. To align with these government targets, a not-for-profit organisation is organising a webinar to discuss the importance of retrofitting UK homes, particularly focusing on a community-driven project in Manchester [2].
The Levenshulme Area-Based Retrofit scheme, led by Carbon Co-op, aims to overcome barriers households face in upgrading the energy efficiency of their homes [2]. This scheme, currently being trialled in the Levenshulme area of Manchester, empowers residents to understand and implement energy improvements through technical support, community engagement, and local capacity building [1][2].
The webinar, scheduled for Wednesday 30 October between 1-2:30pm, will be chaired by Jennifer Brennan, Co-founder and Director of Harlow Consulting. Jennifer, who recently led a Skills Need Analysis for Historic England, stated that the event is an important opportunity for anyone working in the built environment to learn from the Levenshulme pilot [2].
Aneaka Kelly, Citizen and Community Engagement Lead at Carbon Co-op, will also be a speaker at the webinar, along with Architects Hannah Dixon and Julie Maxwell from Progress in Practice, and Michael Dickinson, Director at B4Box Ltd [2]. The event will cover the Levenshulme Area-Based Retrofit scheme and its impact on addressing common retrofit challenges such as lack of information, technical expertise, and community engagement [2].
The government has set ambitious targets for home retrofitting, with a goal to upgrade as many homes as possible to EPC Band C by 2035, and to ensure that all fuel-poor homes are at EPC Band C by 2030 [1]. In addition, the UK Green Building Council has stated that there are 29 million homes in the UK that will need to be retrofitted before 2050 [1].
With the increasing need for home retrofitting, the webinar promises to be an informative session for anyone interested in the topic. Tickets for the webinar can be found here.
References: [1] UK Green Building Council. (n.d.). Retrofit for the future: A roadmap for deep retrofit in the UK. Retrieved from https://www.ukgbc.org/our-work/programmes/retrofit-for-the-future
[2] Carbon Co-op. (n.d.). Levenshulme Area-Based Retrofit Scheme. Retrieved from https://carbon.coop/projects/levenshulme-area-based-retrofit-scheme/
- The Levenshulme Area-Based Retrofit scheme, focusing on energy improvements and community engagement, aims to tackle climate-change issues by retrofitting homes in Manchester.
- The webinar, hosted by a not-for-profit organization, emphasizes the importance of environmental-science developments in the smart-home devices and technology industry, as they relate to the community and neighbourhood.
- With increasing government targets for improving home energy efficiency, residents will benefit from access to technical support and education in the realm of science and society, as provided by the Levenshulme Area-Based Retrofit scheme.
- The growing number of homes requiring retrofitting highlights the impact of science advancements on residential spaces, demonstrating the integration of climate change concerns with smarter, more efficient, and community-oriented homes.
