BREEAM webinar – What's beyond the Future Homes Standard?

On 18 November 2025, BRE hosted a webinar exploring what comes after compliance with the UK's Future Homes Standard. Chaired by James Fisher, Head of Strategic Partnerships at BRE, the session brought together lenders, investors and policy experts to examine how capital is driving sustainability beyond minimum standards. A pre-session poll showed a clear majority believe we should not rely on building regulations alone to drive improvements in new build housing – a signal that the market is ready to go further.

quotes

David Weatherall, Head of Policy at BRE

"The single headline change in the Future Homes Standard is to set carbon standards for new homes such that fossil fuel heating cannot be used. This is an essential step in the UK's journey to net zero. We're seeing data now that 20% of new homes earlier this year were being built with low carbon heating, so the market is definitely moving. But the Future Home Standard will be the minimum – the real future homes will be the ones that do better. Looking ahead, whole life carbon assessment in building regulations has to be the future direction if we're not going to fall behind."

Sam Wisker, Senior Investment Manager at Octopus Capital

"We've partnered with Homes England to create the Greener Homes Alliance – sustainability-linked development finance that gives developers financial incentives to go beyond what's required by the Future Homes Standard. We've been mandating no fossil fuels for about a year now. The homes we've funded through this scheme are more resilient in terms of their value and demand. There's definitely an element of green bonus and brown discount emerging. When you compare two homes – one with energy bills under £100 a month versus £250-300 – it's much more in buyers' minds than it ever has been."

Emma Milburn, Deputy Head of Housing UK at HSBC

"At HSBC, We've have sustainable finance products – green loans and sustainability-linked loans that incentivise borrowers to produce less carbon-intensive homes. The office market has fundamentally changed in regard to ESG features and certifications, with occupiers and investors demanding them. Housing isn't quite there yet, but we're getting there. Nobody wants their home to be unmarketable or unsellable because it's inefficient"