In yet another innovative effort to go green, the UK government has come up with a Code for Sustainable Homes. It sets out a schedule for achieving a zero-carbon target and was announced in the recent budget report.

The code aims to achieve zero-carbon trading within the next decade by developing a sustainable building programme and constructing new eco-friendly houses. Its prime objective is to cut down the country's carbon emissions by 27 per cent by reducing energy use for heating and lighting in UK households. Under the plan, all new homes will come with a star rating on a scale of one to six, reflecting their energy efficiency, by 2008. Regulations will also be made stringent so that highest levels of energy efficiency can be achieved by 2016. Besides encouraging energy efficiency in individual homes, the strategy also creates communities designed to produce less emissions from sectors such as transport.