The snappily named Carbon Emissions (Buildings) Bill, put forward by MPs Duncan Baker and latterly Jerome Mayhew, would have required the lifetime carbon emissions of buildings – including the construction stage – to be reported and, in due course, limited. The consultation Davidson promised did at least take place – in the early days of the Starmer government in the autumn of 2024. It also confirms that financial factors, including the 20 per cent VAT penalty, make retrofit commercially unattractive. Participants ‘particularly endorsed’ a retrofit-first approach in terms of seeking to upgrade existing buildings before considering demolition and rebuild, the paper said. But, despite clear support for reforming the NPPF along these lines, the survey suggests this alone won’t be enough.