<p>The government’s targets for introducing zero carbon housing by 2016 are “touch but achievable.”This was the consensus reached among businesses that attended the industry-wide environmental summit hosted by HBF chief executive Stewart Baseley and housing and planning minister Yvette Cooper in January. The HBF convened the summit to begin to formulate a roadmap to meeting the government’s carbon reduction targets for housing, namely sustainable homes code level three by 2010; code level four by 2013 and carbon neutral by 2016. Said Baseley: “Putting in place a framework is so important, because the cost on development needs to be factored into business plans. What was abundantly clear at the summit is that the targets are very tough. Presently, we don’t even know how to meet code level six. The industry needs time to develop and test the right materials and to ensure we bring customers on board. Housebuilders also need to assess the costs involved, in order to factor these into land buying decisions.”</p> <p>The summit was attended by around 60 key industry personnel from organisations such as CABE and Ofgem, including Barratt chief executive Mark Clare, director of the new BRE/NHBC-funded Centre for Excellence in Housing, Anna Scothern, and John …