Towns to be blighted with empty office blocks under net zero rules

Energy efficiency targets threaten to render two thirds of commercial property unusable by 2030.

Towns across Britain face being blighted with empty office blocks under proposed net zero energy efficiency rules, experts have warned. The Telegraph has the story.

Nearly two thirds of offices across the country would fail to meet proposed energy performance certificate (EPC) targets by 2030 without significant investment, according to findings by property consultancy Carter Jonas.

Researchers warned that without “urgent” investment, older and lower-quality offices “face a future of declining value, rising vacancies and operational obsolescence”. The conclusion was based on analysis of 120,000 buildings across the country.

Towns and cities in England’s regions are the most at risk of being left with unusable buildings because these areas traditionally suffer weaker investment and tenant demand than London.

Under government proposals devised in 2021, offices and other commercial properties can only be rented out if they have an energy efficiency rating of at least C from 2027 and either A or B from 2030.

Read the full story here.