Knowledge and attitudes of small builders toward sustainable homes in the UK

Abstract

Residential homes account for the largest share of carbon emissions in the UK. Making new homes and existing ones more sustainable is essential to achieving the legally binding target of 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Small builders have an important role to play in this regard. They usually carry out the majority of refurbishment work of existing houses and small scale new build developments. Their attitudes toward, and knowledge of sustainable homes are crucial to the overall success of the UK’s sustainable development strategy. Despite numerous government initiatives in recent years, the uptake of sustainable home building methods is still low. The aim of this study is to investigate the problem from small builders’ perspective by examining their current practice and their opinions. Data are collected through an on-line questionnaire survey. Analysis of the results reveals that there is an elementary level of awareness amongst small builders as far as sustainable building is concerned. However, the level of their knowledge is still limited and their attitudes toward sustainable homes are diverse and ambivalent. More efforts are needed to promote sustainable building methods, particularly amongst small builders.