Warm and comfortable buildings

Emissions baseline

Emissions from commercial buildings are estimated to account for roughly 14% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions while the public sector accounts for around 5%.

Providing warm and comfortable buildings

By making our homes and places of work more energy efficient, we can help to address the challenges of fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions, whilst also embedding resilience to the otherwise devastating consequences of climate change.

Nationally, emissions from residential heating fell in 2023, however the UK has significantly lagged behind other European countries in heat pump installations, with only a 4% increase in heat pump installations in the UK in 2023.

In 2024, sales of heat pumps increased by 63%, alongside a 15% increase in the number of individuals skilling up to fit or maintain them. Incentives, such as the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme has accelerated this growth.

In West Yorkshire, housing is responsible for 3.4 million tonnes (around 30%) of carbon dioxide each year, the majority of which comes from using fossil fuels to heat homes. To reach net zero by 2038, almost 700,000 of the region’s one million homes need improved thermal efficiency, with over 650,000 requiring heat pumps.

It is estimated that 26.7% of West Yorkshire households live in fuel poverty, which is above the estimate for England at 20%. According to the draft WYCA Climate and Environment Plan 2025-28 an estimated 25% of West Yorkshire households live in fuel poverty as of July 2024. This is higher than the national average of 19%. In Bradford District, the percentage of fuel poor households rises to almost 49% in some parts of the city.