A retrospective view of the Climate Change Act 2008 and the three Sustainability Dimensions – An Innovative Numerical Modelling

Sustainability is one of the most multi- and inter-disciplinary fields of study, as it encapsulates three principle dimensions: social/ethical, economic and environmental. These dimensions can also be found within the context of climate change with similar implications. Whilst there is an understanding of the relationship between sustainability and climate change, there appears to be limited literature drawing upon this relationship, particularly from the perspective of energy science, and more specifically in connection to carbon emissions and energy management. On the other hand, all three issues – sustainability, climate change and energy (implications) – have already been the subject of legislation in different countries in varying capacities, though still, predominantly individually and lacking an integrated approach. For instance, the Climate Change Act (2008) legally binds the UK to achieving reductions in emissions of CO2, one of the greenhouse gases (GHG). In this paper, this Act is considered as a platform to depict the relationship propositions between sustainability and climate change via the lens of energy implications. This paper establishes the aspects of this relationship by employing graphical and numerical approaches, and exploring the potential of thermal insulation of the UK housing stock in contributing to achieving the legal carbon-cutting targets set by the Act. Using the UK housing sector as a case study, this paper demonstrates, via numerical modelling, that by even partly insulating the existing UK housing stock the 2020 target set by the Act was achievable for that sector. This case is presented as in retrospect. Links are clearly drawn between energy, sustainability and climate change (mitigation), showing how addressing climate change issues via energy management of the UK housing stock can directly and indirectly assist in meeting the sustainability agenda. The unique, conceptual, numerical model innovatively designed, developed and applied in this paper, can be reproduced to cater for other climate change targets and benchmarks, not only in the UK but also in other countries.