Rishi Sunak has repeatedly re-asserted his commitment to achieving the legally binding target of net zero by 2050 while systematically dismantling the mechanisms that his own government has set up to deliver it. First the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars has been postponed by five years. Then, he abolishes the Energy Efficiency Task Force after just eight months in existence. The Conservative Party conference resonated with suggestions that the fifteen minute city is some form of weird conspiracy. What next – the 2050 target itself?

Of course, it’s not easy. Rather than acquiescence in the face of the climate challenge, we need leadership. In the world of housing, only a very small segment of the market has reached the point of understanding and preparedness to commission homes that can genuinely justify the description of ‘net zero’. But from the standpoint of mainstream practice, progress is far too slow