With the same curious timing as the Definition of zero carbon consultation launched in mid-December 2008, the government’s consultation on a review of the Code for Sustainable Homes surfaced ten days before Christmas, although this time the industry was granted nearly a week more than last time to respond. But just like the Zero Carbon consultation, the Consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes and the energy efficiency standard for zero carbon homes is a crucial document on which to have a say – it is a housebuilder’s chance to influence the direction of the Code, a voluntary regulation which has been increasingly forced into the industry’s psyche since it was launched in 2007, and is the future for all housing. “This is a very important document to respond to,” says Dave Mitchell, HBF’s technical director, “although admittedly at 87 pages it’s also a large document to get through.” <br> <br> main aims <br> <br> Luckily, the document attempts to help break things down, citing three main aims in its quest to revise the Code – to align it with the developing zero carbon homes policy; to make it more streamlined and less bureaucratic, and to resolve issues that have …