Hot Air

In the UK, 14% of carbon emissions, come from our draughty and poorly insulated homes. There was a typical great fanfare, when the UK government announced its Green Homes grants scheme. This scheme was going to rectify the emissions problem by giving grants of between £5000 and £10000 to insulate homes or put in low carbon heating. 'Building back, greener', claimed to have the potential to create masses of new skilled jobs. The scheme turned out to be bureaucratic, poorly run and skilled jobs were actually lost. Builders waited for grants, that never materialised and abandoned training. The Green Homes grant scheme is now to be scrapped, only 6 months after its launch (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/27/uk-government-scraps-green-homes-grant-after-six-months). The winding up of the Green Homes grants scheme, means the UK effectively has nothing in place, to solve the problem of excessive carbon emissions from its housing stock. As a number of people have commented, this is not a good look, when the country will be chairing COP26 in Glasgow. The UK claim they aspire to be leaders in the battle against climate change. Unfortunately, they appear only 'world class' in terms of bluster. Bluster adds to the release of hot air, rather than reduces it!