A new drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions will be at the heart of an industry code for sustainable buildings, said Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott today.

Building, maintaining and occupying buildings causes nearly fifty per cent of CO2 emissions in the UK. Our homes alone account for around twenty five per cent.

The government gave the green light to the code in its response to the Sustainable Buildings Task Group report, in which experts from the private, public and non-governmental sectors pinpointed ways in which industry and government can work together to promote sustainable development.

The new code will establish higher standards for energy and water efficiency, as well as waste and use of materials. This will help to deliver truly sustainable buildings and is expected, through increased efficiency, to generate substantial savings for industry and consumers. Government calls on the whole of the building industry to embrace the Task Group’s recommendations.

The first outline of the code should be complete in time for the Sustainable Communities Summit in January 2005.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott welcomed the report and said: "We are delighted to start work with industry on developing the Code for Sustainable Buildings.”

"Building better, greener buildings is a key element of our £38 billion Sustainable Communities Plan. This is the best opportunity we have had for generations to change the way we build. By doing things differently we will benefit both people and the planet.”

“It is time to apply the highest environmental standards to the new and existing building stock if we are to tackle climate change and achieve high quality design for communities where people will want to live now and in the future."

Member of the Task Group and CEO of the UK Timber Frame Association, Bryan Woodley said:

“The code’s more aspirational aspects are achievable using timber in construction and co-operative follow-up actions are now being progressed with government, CPET, Forestry Commission, WWF, Energy Saving Trust, WRAP, BRE and TRADA as well as a broad cross-section of Industry and its supply chain."

A project group will be set up immediately to establish the main criteria of the code, as well as set up a senior steering group to fully develop the code.

Direct industry involvement in the project group is welcomed and will be core to the membership of the senior steering group. The group will work with local authorities and developers to ensure that a sufficient number of demonstration schemes in the Thames Gateway, and potentially elsewhere, are established. Part of the demonstration process will be to carry out a full regulatory impact assessment and economic assessment.

The code should be complete by the end of 2005, in order to take action on a national rollout by early 2006.