editorial Alex Smith, Editor Email: asmith@cibsejournal.com Twitter: @alexsmith68 Alleged gold-plating of EU requirements has been a recurring theme for Osbornes speech writers Amber warning T he news that the government is postponing the 2016 Zero Carbon Standard and scrapping Allowable Solutions was greeted with dismay last month not least by those companies that have spent large chunks of R&D budgets developing low energy designs to help builders meet the laudable targets. The announcement came as a shock, but we shouldnt have been too surprised. Conservatives in the coalition government hinted that UK zero carbon targets went well beyond what is required by the EU, which calls for nearly zero buildings to be built from 2020 four years after the UK target. Alleged gold-plating of EU requirements has been a recurring theme for George Osbornes speech writers. With the Lib Dems no longer at the tiller on environmental matters, there is now little to stop the Tories sweeping away green policies it perceives as barriers to business and development and as we went to press, energy secretary Amber Rudd also announced the government was taking an axe to the Green Deal. For those involved in delivering low energy buildings, the policy inconsistency is frustrating and will no doubt put a brake on sustainable development. There may be some crumbs of comfort. The UK is still committed to the nearly zero carbon 2020 target and, last month, Rudd told MPs that she would back policies on energy efficiency. She said it was the most effective way of reducing carbon and fuel bills. She promised new announcements in the autumn, after a policy review. It is fortunate that the business benefits of delivering energy efficient and low carbon buildings is well proven. Property owners, for one, understand they will attract higher calibre tenants if they can promise lower energy bills and sustainable and healthy working environments. There are examples, from all over the sector, of firms working on new designs and processes to cut energy, and mandatory ESOS audits explaining how companies can reduce bills are in full swing ahead of Decembers deadline. Portakabin understands the value of getting to grips with energy use. It is building a mission control for Prince Williams new employer, the East Anglian Air Ambulance, and wants to understand the likely energy use at its Cambridge HQ. The firm is using CIBSEs forecasting tool TM54 to predict likely bands of performance, and could potentially use the tool on all its buildings. This is the sort of common-sense energy policy that cuts across the political divide.