05/07/2021
In response to the DfE Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland consultation, the RSUA has said that Northern Ireland should aim to achieve net zero carbon energy earlier than the proposed deadline of 2050 in order to effectively limit global warming.
The RSUA has also called for a clear mention of the essential requirement to consume less and to enable the real lifestyle changes that allow this. Switching to clean energy alone will not provide a sustainable future and the strategy should focus more on the need to consume less energy to begin with.
Domestic dwellings should be the earliest focus of this strategy, but this will require funding in the form of grants or subsidies to support essential energy efficient upgrades, of which there is no mention in the proposal.
The strategy has proposed the introduction of a ‘one stop shop’ to give advice to individuals on how they can make energy efficient upgrades to their homes and businesses. The RSUA has stressed the need for this organisation to be impartial and free of market pressures.
The RSUA believes that this one stop shop should begin the process of assessing the most appropriate methods for energy efficiency and retrofitting. Architects and engineers should be consulted on this with specific training and advice provided to ensure that these professions are leaders in energy efficiency retrofitting.
Climate resilience is missing from the proposed strategy, as is clarity on the end goal for nZEB, for which a benchmark should be set now to enable consumers to prepare for the uplift in regulations.
Read the full strategy proposal here, and the full RSUA response here.
RSUA thanks Megan Nielson-Nilehn and the members of the RSUA Climate Emergency Committee for preparing this response.
