In the Viewpoint column of PBM’s February issue, editor Paul Davies discussed the recently-published ‘Mission Zero’ independent review of Net Zero and the potential opportunities for the merchant sector.
A multitude of factors continue to ensure that sustainability and the need to reduce energy consumption persist in dominating the agenda. Whilst ‘climate change’ can still remain somewhat of an intangible, the cost-of-living crisis and the (broader) impact of the war in Ukraine give the issue a sharper focus in the minds of many.
And with years of seemingly endless debate and any number of previous (failed) initiatives, the latest entry into the discussion is the independent review of Net Zero, published by former Energy Minister Chris Skidmore MP. Commissioned by BEIS in September 2022, the report is said to represent the largest ever engagement exercise on the subject and the 340-page document makes 129 recommendations on how to seize the opportunities from creating a green economy, and “deliver Net Zero at scale and lower cost.”
With every recommendation “designed to maximise economic investment, opportunities and jobs,” the wide-ranging ‘Mission Zero’ publication covers areas including the “greater role that business can be supported to play, making better use of infrastructure and delivering more energy efficient homes.” Refreshingly, the Review doesn’t shy away from referencing the reasons why previous ‘top down’ retrofit schemes such as the Green Homes Grant have fallen short and the document certainly gives grounds for optimism that at least some lessons have been learned.
“The review recommends establishing ‘retrofit hubs’ to enable installers to seek training and impartial advice and could connect households to suitable installers. Sound like anything you know?”
For instance, it cites the work of the Construction Leadership Council and notes that the sector itself “has developed a long-term plan to retrofit the UK’s existing housing stock (and is) calling for a partnership between government and industry. This would take the form of a national programme for a ‘Net Zero Retrofit Hub’ or localised hubs, run by industry with government support, to act as a co-ordinating body to help facilitate local retrofit delivery.”
Such hubs would have a role in “bringing together all relevant stakeholders to enable locally driven retrofit programmes” alongside “signposting and creating resources for delivering the vital interaction between information, incentives, and installers.”
The review’s recommendation is that “Government should support establishing retrofit hubs by 2025 to bridge the gap between households and suppliers. These could enable installers to seek training and impartial advice and could connect households to suitable installers.”
Sound like anything you know?
Indeed, there are surely clear parallels to be seen with many of the great initiatives already exiting in the sector such as Bradfords’ ongoing Building Sustainable Communities series and Robert Price’s Sustainable Energy Centre to name just two.
So whilst the language in the report is not explicit, and the review’s authors may have a very different intention, it doesn’t take much of a leap to think that the merchant sector could be at the very heart of this golden, green opportunity.
Top 20 Merchants
PBM is currently compiling statistics for our latest annual Top 20 merchant countdown, based on the turnover figures of the sector’s largest businesses and set to appear in the April 2023 edition of the magazine.
To present a truly accurate benchmark for the industry and to ensure our statistics are as up-to-date as possible, we are reaching out to merchant firms for the details. If your organisation is a potential ‘Top 20 merchant’, please click here to complete the short survey on our website or email pbm@hamerville.co.uk for further details.
