ABSTRACT
Homes are places and causes of consumption. Whilst homes are often designed, built, and made to be places of comfort, safety, pride, and personal space, they contribute considerably to climate impacts and have direct consequences on sustainable consumption. The building sector as a whole is responsible for around a third of global energy consumption and is the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions. In certain instances, homes become places of discomfort. For example, people facing fuel poverty and living in poor quality houses often have reduced wellbeing. This chapter shows how austerity politics and the reduced role of the state in the United Kingdom (UK) have also impacted the development of decent, sustainable homes. While a number of beacon sustainable homes have been built in the UK since the early 1970s, such developments have faced diminishing policy support. Concepts such as zero carbon homes remain a niche. Instead of focusing on minimising the environmental and climate impacts of homes, the UK housing market has a reputation for wealth creation and a culture where homes have become a “means to an end”.
