The Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) has seen requests for guidance on how to achieve higher environmental standards climbing steadily, with some of the UK’s leading home building companies among those asking for help.

The AECB also reported that awareness of sustainable building has grown significantly across all sectors of the construction industry in recent years.

However, the organisation warned that developers would have to implement firm strategies to address climate change in their new buildings if they are going to meet the Government’s target of building zero-carbon homes by 2016.

Bosses also emphasised the need to continue monitoring buildings’ energy use after the occupants had moved in.

Chris Herring, the chair of the AECB, said, “The report confirms that home builders are making attempts to create sustainable buildings, which is encouraging.

“However, it is important that they don’t rely on green gimmicks in order to meet the challenging 2016 targets and it is also crucial for energy use to be monitored post-occupancy.

“This is something that the AECB actively promotes and facilitates, as it is the only way to be absolutely certain that a building is genuinely energy-efficient and real progress is being made.”

AECB recently launched the CarbonLite website, which allows its members to access a practical step-by-step guide to designing low-energy buildings.

Through the AECB website, members can also access a technical online forum to share their expertise and pick up tips.

Kate Martin

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