Retrofitting the existing UK building stock

The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms both the seriousness of the climate change challenge and the deep carbon emission reductions that are needed to avoid the worst consequences. A large fraction of those emissions come from existing buildings, and the special issue of Building Research and Information entitled 'Climate Change: National Building Stocks' (2007) (volume 35, number 4) describes both the range of buildings and emission reduction measures being undertaken in a number of countries. The challenge for the UK is set in an international context. Based on this information, a number of measures are suggested on a national scale that might achieve an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050.