Keir Starmer’s Green Promise: Bold Plans, But Are They Enough for Real Change?

Keir Starmer’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 81% by 2035 is a bold statement.

Yet, as he promises to decarbonize the UK’s energy grid, he seems hesitant to address one of the largest sources of emissions: the domestic housing sector.

For retrofit project coordinators like myself, working in social housing, this feels like a missed opportunity to make meaningful change.

While Starmer is right to focus on cutting emissions, the domestic housing stock remains a critical hurdle.

Domestic properties account for 20% of UK carbon emissions, and without addressing our inefficient, drafty homes—some of the worst in Europe—we won’t achieve net zero by 2050.

Retrofitting homes at a rapid pace—around 1.5 homes a minute—is crucial to tackling this issue, yet Starmer’s approach seems to shy away from policies that could have the most impact, like incentivizing retrofitting or removing barriers to energy-efficient solutions.

Retrofitting homes isn’t just about reducing carbon emissions—it directly improves people’s lives.

Warmer homes in winter, cooler homes in summer, and fewer health issues related to extreme temperatures are just a few of the benefits.

Not to mention the immediate financial savings for families on fuel bills and the reduced strain on the NHS.

Retrofitting doesn’t just help the environment—it helps the people who need it most, and offers a boost to the economy, too.

It’s disappointing that Starmer and Rachel Reeves have bought into the right-wing narrative that retrofitting equals a nanny state. In reality, it’s about empowerment.

Moreover, policies like reintroducing the feed-in tariff for small-scale electricity producers could unlock millions in green energy investment from individuals.

This kind of policy would allow people to generate energy at home and contribute directly to emission reductions with minimal cost to the taxpayer.

Ultimately, Starmer’s green pledge could be far more ambitious, focusing on real, immediate solutions that benefit both the environment and society.