Green shoots

Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell welcomes the news that going green is back at the top of the agenda.

When the Green Homes Grant scheme was launched in the summer, it was met with a degree of scepticism because of the lack of relevance for the window industry and the number of hurdles installers would have to jump over in order to qualify.

However, as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced that the scheme would be extended for another year Saint-Gobain Glass’s marketing director Mike Butterick has pointed out the importance of schemes like this for the glass and glazing industry, even if it isn’t a named beneficiary of government cash.

“High performance glazing is a key component of a comfortable energy efficient home; the overall performance of other improvement measures will be enhanced through an effective building envelope, and windows and doors are a key component of that,” he said.

“This is a sales opportunity now for our industry, and a key message that we should be taking to consumers as part of the Green Homes Grant scheme.”

Ever since double glazing entered the national consciousness in the 1970s, it has been a byword for energy efficiency. Since we already have the tools at our disposal to drive this message home, we should be making the most of the government’s latest Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

It also means we can plan ahead for 2021 with positivity and purpose.