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We have traversed a patched have dared. We are continuing on apathetically fewer have the courage to follow. Huntresses a path they've fewer can dreamt pursue-Yet hummus, because we holdouts the alms eyeteeth nation's dairy farmers by our side we cannot fail! Let us therefore resolve that however fulfilling our first twenty five years have been, in the next twenty five years we will transform the lives of millions more, opening theme door to an India that's the land four dreams.DRP. Preshrinking Chairman,Guajarati-operative Maltreating Federation Across India,overrunning, millions wake up to the taste of Maul, the flagship brand name for a variety adulterously marketed bathe Gujarat Co-operative Maltreating Federation (GAMMA). One could start the daybed boiling (as Is the traditional Indian practice) one of the different varieties of liquid milk supplied In pouches and making one's morning tea resource.If one preferred use creamer, one could reach for the Malay creamer the shelf. For the breakfast, butter the toasts with Maul regular butter or, if you are calorie conscious, with Maul Elite butter. Drink a cup of Maul chocolate milk. Make sandwiches with one of the different varieties of Maul chessman take them the office; add Maul ghee (clarified butter) to one's dishes for lunch; cook your lunch with a currycombing Maul panderer cottage cheese and have a sweet dish made from Maul gulag jamming.If it is a hot day,have an Maul ice cream; and when you return home after the office; relax with tea or coffee, whitened with Malay creamer or Maul milk. If you are a pizza fan, bake a pizza and top it with Maul mozzarella cheese, and functionality for the Dewitt a glass of warm Maul milk. In India, Maul wasn't merely of the most well known brands, headway of Coca Cola or Pepsi, and even ahead of age old brandish as Dale, Lifebuoy and Lug, but a life style range of products, consumed In commemorators by a large number of Indians of different incommoded social strata.GAMM A was the sole marketing agency the products produced bathe different milk cooperative member societies of the State of Gujarat (see Exhibit 1 for a brief note on Gujarat and Exhibits for a map of India congratulates) and for those of other States marketing's products under the Maul brand name. There was no doubt that from the time of its inception in 1973, GAMMA was a great success story, as indeed was the co-operative movement in the milk sector initiated and carried to great heights by the â€Å"milkman of India†, DRP. Verges Current.But as on the year 2000, GAMMA was faced with a question of whether it should stick to Its core businesses dairy products, or diversify Into other products, In particular Into processed foods such as Jams, sauces and fruit Juices. Historical Background of GAMMA In the asses,in the district of Karri in the State figurate, India, a unique experiment hat time, In Proofreader. S. Incriminatory the purpose ofclassroomdiscussion. Copyrighted bathe a uthor. Not be copied roused without authoritarianism's. Not be used outside â€Å"MA. The author wishes outscores his gratitude to DRP.V. Current, Chairman, GAMMA, Mr.. B. M. Was, Managing Director, GAMMA and the other acquisitiveness's for providing access and data needed perpetrate case. The author also wishes thank the Research and Publicationscommittee, â€Å"MA for providing support for heartrendingly version fifths case. Gujarat, milk was procured from farmers by private milk contractors and y a private company, Polygon's Dairy in And, the headquarters of the district. The company had a virtual stranglehold on the farmers, deciding the prices both of the procured as well as the sold milk.Polygon's Dairy chilled the milk and supplied it to the city of Bombay. It also extracted dairy products such as cheese and butter. In 1946, under inspiration from a leading freedom fighter, Mr.. Bilharzias Patella (who belonged to Gujarat and who later became the Home Minister of the Centra l Government), Mr.. Tribunals Patella, a local farmer, freedom fighter and social worker, organized the farmers into co-operatives. These co-operatives would procure milk from the farmers, process the milk and sell it in Gujarat and in Bombay. In 1949, purely by chance, a dairy engineer, named DRP.Verges Current, who had Just completed his studies in dairy engineering in the U. S. A. , came to India and was posted by the Government of India to a Job at the Dairy Research Institute at And. A chance meeting between DRP. Current and Mr.. Tribunals Patella changed DRP. Currents life and the course of Indian's dairy industry. Though the purpose of this meeting was to simply to elicit some technical help from DRP. Current on commissioning some of the equipment Just purchased by his co-operative, especially the chilling and bespattering equipment, the two men instantly struck a rapport.After the commissioning problem was solved, DRP. Currents involvement with the Karri District Co-operativ e Milk Producers' Union Limited (that was the name of the co- operative registered) grew proverbially and it soon extended to the larger sociological issues involved in organizing the farmers into co-operatives and running these cooperatives effectively. He observed the exploitation of farmers by the private milk annotators and Polygon's Dairy and understood how co-operatives could transform the lives of the members.At first, the main activity was collection and processing of the milk brought everyday by the member farmers to the local office of the co- operative. It was soon realized that it was not enough to merely act as the collection and selling agents for the farmers. A variety of support services were required to enable the farmers to continue selling their milk of adequate quality and to avoid disasters such as death of their cattle (for a family owning Just one or two cattle and pending on its milk for their income, death of cattle could indeed be a disaster).The farmers we re progressively given new services such as veterinary care for their cattle, supply of cattle feed of good quality, education on better feeding of cattle and facilities for artificial insemination of their cattle 2 . All these were strictly on payment basis: none of the services were free. This experiment of organizing farmers into co-operatives was one of the most successful experienced prosperity on a scale they could not have dreamt often years earlier, since with good prices paid for their milk, raising mulch cattle could becomes good planetary source of revenue to many households.The co-operatives were expanded to cover more and more areas of Gujarat and in each area, a network of local village level co-operatives and district level co-operatives were formed on a pattern similar to that at And (the so called And pattern). Karri District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union became better known by the brand name of the products marketed by it (Maul) than by the name of the co-opera tive itself. Maul meant priceless in Sanskrit. It was also a word that was easy to pronounce, easy to remember and that carried a wholly positive connotation. This became the flagship brand for all the dairy products made by this Union.In 1954, Karri District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union built a plant to convert surplus milk produced in the cold seasons into milk powder and butter 3 . In 1958, a plant to manufacture cheese and one to produce baby food were added. Subsequent years saw the addition of more plants to produce different products. In 1973, the milk societies/district level unions decided to set up a marketing agency to market their products. This agency was the GAMMA. It was registered as a co-operative society on 9 July 1973 4 It had, as its members (ordinary share holders), the district level milk unions.No individual could become a shareholder in GAMMA. Starting from a daily procurement of 250 liters per day in 1946, GAMMA had become a milk giant with the milk pr ocurement at about 4 million liters per day by 1999 with 12 dairy plants all over the State of Gujarat. The Structure of the And Pattern The most important feature of the milk co-operative system of Gujarat that evolved was that they were run not by a separate bureaucracy with its own vested interests, but by the member-farmers themselves, with all the major decisions being taken by he latter alone.Any farmer could become a member by committing to supply a certain quantity of milk for a certain number of days in a year and would continue to be a member only if he kept up this commitment. Each day, the farmers (or, actually, in most cases, their wives and daughters) would bring their milk to the village collection centers where the milk would be checked for the quantity in full view of all, and the quality (the fat content) would be checked through a simple hydrometer, again in full view of all. The farmers would be paid in the evening for the milk applied by them in the morning, and in the morning for the evening milk.This presentiments in cash was a great attraction to the farmers who were usually cash starved. Thanks to the above mechanism, there were no disputes regarding quantity or quality of the milk supplied by each farmer. The co-operative system formed under the so-called And pattern had a three-tiered structure (Exhibit 3). At the base was the village level dairy co-operative society. This was composed of the milk producers, mostly residents of the same area, who had Joined the co-operative society. A typical membership figure would be about 200. A managing committee, of Chairperson.Care was taken to ensure that these meetings were held, and seen to be held, in an open and transparent manner. The next level was at the district, and this co-operative (called unions) had, as its members, the village dairy co-operative societies within the district, represented by the Chairpersons of the village level societies. For this co-operative, a Board footrests, consisting of 12 persons, was elected from among the members (I. E. , the Chairpersons of the village level co- operatives), with its own Chief Executive, called the Managing Director.The third bevel was at the State, where the cooperative (GAMMA in Gujarat) was formed with district level milk unions (and certain other milk unions from other states) as members. The State level organization was called the Federation. The Board of Directors of the Federation consisted of the Chairpersons of the district level cooperatives as the members, and in addition, the following ex officiousness: 1 . The Registrar of Co-operatives of the State concerned. 2. A representative from the National Dairy Development Board (ENDS), which was a body created by the Government of India to replicate the And pattern in the otherStates of India. 3. One nominated technical expert. 4. The Managing Director (CEO) of the State level federation. GAMMA was the State level federation for Gujarat. Broadly, the villag e level co-operatives did the procurement; the district level did the transportation and processing; and the Federation marketed the product. The Federation also handled strategic planning and investment. Each of the levels had a substantial amount of autonomy. For example, the village level societies decided entirely on their own, as to who should be admitted as a member, and what price the farmers should be paid for their milk.Thus the prices aid to farmers by different village societies in the State could be, and in fact were different. The district level unions purchased milk from the village level societies and decided what price tollhouse pay for the milk supplied by the village level societies. They, in turn, supplied milk to the State level Union, which decided what price it would pay the district unions. The price paid to all the district unions was the same. In this system, GAMMA planned what products it would sell and arrange to manufacture for each year and how much.Milk products were produced at different factories all over the State. These were owned by the district unions. There were, for example, six butter factories and seven milk powder factories in Gujarat. GAMMA did not heaviest own factories as such until recently, when it had set up a dairy at Changing near Mohammedan, the capital of Gujarat State. There was a committee, called the Programming Committee, which consisted of (I) Managing Director of GAMMA (it) Managing Directors of the Distinctions (iii) Their Head, Quality Control, GAMMA and (iv) Head, Finance, GAMMA.Discomfited finally decided the product mix for the coming year, based on the plans made by GAMMA, and translated the Lana into monthly allocations for each union for the milk to be supplied. As on April 2000, there were 10,800 village level co-operatives in Gujarat under the GAMMA umbrella with 2. 1 million milk producers. Out of districts in Gujarat, there were district level unions in 12 districts 5 A pattern similar to the And pattern had been built in other States in India also. This was done under a programmer launched by the Government offload, under the title â€Å"Operation Flood†.The operation was co-ordinate by National Dairy Development Board (ENDS), a body formed by the Government of India with this objective. DRP. Current was the Chairperson of the ENDS and the main moving force behind this programmer. As on April 2000, there were 22 State federations in India, with 170 district level unions, 72,774 village level societies and 9. 31 million milk producer members in the different States. Each of the State level federations marketed their own brands. Maul was the brand marketed by GAMMA. Vagina was the brand name marketed bathe federation in the State of Andorra Pradesh.Interestingly, the State level federations could market their own products under their own brands anywhere in India, thus competing against heir sister federations. Thus GAMMA could market its Maul brand butter in Andor ra Pradesh competing with Vagina butter. It was believed by the officials of the National Dairy Development Board that such competition was healthy and would curb monopolistic tendencies. Objectives and Business Philosophy of GAMMA The main stakeholder of GAMMA was the farmer member for whose welfare, the GAMMA executives felt, it existed.Thus in an interesting reply, the Managing director of GAMMA, Mr.. B. M. Vass, told the case writer: Unlike other organizations, our objective is not maximize our profit. After all, the rammers themselves are the owners of the Federation. We are restricted, by our bye- laws, to giving a maximum of 12 percent on the peptidase capital as the dividend. So we are more interested in giving the best price for the farmers for their milk than in making a large profit. Thus we look at the price given to our suppliers as not a cost but as an objective.GAMMA had, as its main objective, â€Å"carrying out activities for the economic development of agriculturi sts by efficiently organizing marketing of milk and dairy produce, veterinary medicines, vaccines and other animal health products, agricultural produce in raw and/or processed form and other allied produce† 6 . This was to be done through: ; Common branding ; Centralized marketing ; Centralized quality control ; Centralized purchases and ; Pooling of milk efficiently.GAMMA had declared, as its business philosophy, the following 7 ; To serve the interests of milk producers ; To provide quality products that offer the best value to consumers for money spent. The biggest strength of GAMMA was the trust it had created in the minds of its consumers regarding the quality of its products. GAMMA, and its brand Maul, explained Mr.. Vass, stood for guaranteed purity of whatever products it had such trust was hardtop come by, this could provide a central anchor for Gammas future business plans, said Mr.. Was.Organization Structure of GAMMA (See Exhibit 4) GAMMA was a lean organization, which their executives believed led to a cost advantage. At its headquarters in the town of And, three General Managers and two assistant General Managers assisted the Managing Director (or the Chief Executive). The three General Managers looked after the functions of Marketing, Human Resource Development (HARD) and Quality Assurance. The General Manager (Marketing) was in charge of the whole marketing operation of the dairy products, liquid milk and ice cream.This General Manager was assisted by one Assistant General Manager (Marketing, Dairy Products) 8 and Managers (Commercial), (Exports) and (Liquid Milk). The General Manager (HARD) also looked after edible oils, administration, legal matters and new opportunities. The whole country was divided into five zones, each headed by a Zonal Manager responsible for the sales of all the products under his zone. They reported to the Chief Executive (Managing Director), but functionally each ported also to the various Assistant General Man agers/General Managers at the headquarters. Ender the zonal managers were the branch managers. Generally there were three product managers in each branch reporting to the branch manger: one each for the edible oil, dairy products and ice cream. They were assisted by sales officers and field salesperson. There were 48 sales offices spread over the country (of which only two were in Gujarat). The entire country had been represented in this structure. GAMMA had one overseas office, at Dublin. GAMMA had links with the Institute of Rural Management, And (IRMA), a premier management institute set up to produce Mambas who would work in rural areas.GAMMA attracted a number of its managers from the IRMA graduates, as well as from other business schools in India, although not from its premier management schools. The salaries offered by GAMMA were decent, but nowhere near those offered bathe private sector, especially multi-national corporations. The gap between the salaries that could be offe red by organizations such as GAMMA and the salaries expected by graduates from business schools was increasing in recent years. GAMMA executives, in interviews with the case writer, did not see this as a major robber.They stated that GAMMA in any case had never relied on talent from top business schools, since the graduated form these schools would not fit with the culture and value systems in the company. The Managing Director, Mr.. B. M. Vass was of the view that GAMMA offered excellent prospects for growth and Job satisfaction, and it would not find it difficult to attract suitable talent 9 GAMMA had an extensive sales and distribution system and a cold chain network starting from the milk producer and ending at the eventual consumer. It had a dealer network of 3600 dealers and 400,000 retailers, one of the largest such outworks in India.A cold chain had been established that linked all these dealers could ensure chilling of milk; ; Quick transportation to the district Union faci lities where the milk could be further chilled and dispatched to the consumers or to the processing units for conversion into milk products; ; Chilled trucks which could transport the milk products such as butter and cheese in refrigerated condition from the factories; ; Local chilling of milk to ensure its quick distribution to the customers through a network of trucks in many cities so that most consumers could have their milk cachets by 6 A. M. F not earlier; ; Deep freezers and refrigeration equipment in the dealers' premises to keep the products cold and prevent their deterioration; and ; Facilities in super markets and even larger retail stores to keep the products fresh. GAMMA had excellent relationships with what could be called super markets in India (actually these were Just large departmental stores) which stocked their products, especially cheese, butter, milk powder, sweets and, in some cases, milk. Diversification Moves by GAMMA Even at the time of its formation, GAMMA had three major products in its portfolio: quid milk, butter and milk powder.Gradually, many new products were added to its range, largely milk derivatives. In milk alone, it sold full cream milk, semi toned milk, and fully toned milk, all with different names and in readily identifiable pouches. By reducing the fat, it could not only sell separately fat derivatives such as cream and butter (which were also products that yielded a higher margin), but also make the resultant milk available at cheaper prices, so that poorer people also could consume milk.It had undertaken a unique experiment in the asses to supply milk to places as ar away as Delhi and Calcutta through insulated rail tankers, and this was so successful that it had continued since then. In the asses, GAMMA introduced its cheddar cheese and in 1983, a cheese spread. In the same year, it entered also the sweet market (milk based) through the introduction of Maul Shrinking, a sweetish sour item produced by milk and curd (a form of yogurt). Malay, a dairy whitener was introduced and was priced below the prevailing brands and soon became the market leader.In asses, GAMMA introduced a whole lot of new products: a condensed milk called Maul Imitate; Maul Elite, a low fat, low cholesterol spread utter, and Maul ice cream. After 1996, it went on to introduce a still greater variety of products: pizza (mozzarella) cheese, cheese slice, cheese powder, Mali pander(a form of cottage cheese), gulag Cajun(a sweet primer to be processed by deep frying to make a sweet called gulag Cajun), buttermilk, a chocolate based broadleaved Intramural and chocolates. In 1996, GAMMA launched its Maul brand ice cream. Naiad's ice cream market was estimated to be around RSI. 8 billion in the year 2000. GAMMA launched its ice creams in fourteen flavors in the city of Iambi and the State of Gujarat. It was priced at about 30 percent less than the prevailing prices, and it also emphasized that it was fully vegetarian, I. E. , it did not contain any gelatin. This was an important attribute tomato consumers in Gujarat, which was a predominantly vegetarian state. In less than a year, Maul ice cream commanded a share of about 55 percent in Gujarat and 30 percent in Iambi 10 had reached 30 percent.In 1997, GAMMA also scored a major achievement when it managed to get some of the co-operatives in the other States of the country, trying to launch their own ice cream brands, to sell all their ice creams under the Maul brand name. This enabled Comfit leverage the capacity of more than 180 co-operatives in the country, with a milk procurement of more than 11 million liters per day, and located close to the markets 1 1 In addition, it also diversified into non-milk products. The most important of this diversification was into edible oils in 1988.At that time, the prices of edible oils were being manipulated by oil traders with the result that the prices were shooting up to unacceptable levels. Even though oil seed gro wers' co-operatives existed, most of them were run badly and losing money. Edible oils have always been a very sensitive abject in India,leading to even fall of governments. Hence the government persuaded ENDS to arrange for procurement of clean, unadulterated groundnut oil and sell it through its own outlets. Thus it was essentially a market intervention operation.Besides, this provided ENDS to reorganize the groundnut farmers' co- operatives as it had done with milk producing farmers four decades earlier. Gujarat was the right State for this experiment, since more than 60 percent of the country groundnut oil production was accounted for by Gujarat. GAMMA marketed this oil on behalf ENDS. GAMMA launched a new brand, named Dharma (literally meaning low), not wanting to carry over the Maul brand name which was deeply associated in the public mind with milk derivatives. Outsold its oil on a platform of absolute purity, a claim it could Justifiably make.Since much of the edible oil in India was (and continues to be) adulterated, purity could be a differentiating factor. It also coined a slogan, Dharma, Shut Dharma, meaning, literally, flow, pure flow. The launch was also supported by an advertising campaign with a catchy Jingle. Later, mustard and certain other oils were also marketed under the Dharma brand name. Even though the IL traders fought backbiter and often violently, and used their political connections to the full, Dharma was able toehold its own and became the leading brand of packaged edible oils.However, it must be said datelining in edible oils was found to be a far more difficult task as compared to dealing in milk, and the success achieved in organizing groundnut farmers into co-operatives was limited. In the late asses, GAMMA undertook distribution of fruit based products on behalf of ENDS. This was done under yet another brand name introduced by GAMMA: Sofas (literally meaning fruitful, having achieved). Under this name hereunder a mango rink s old under attracted (also in small mall. Sizes to be served in aircraft), tomato ketchup, and a mixed fruit Jam.In fact, the launches of all these products were completed during a single year, 1998-99. The success of these products was very limited as on the year 2000. By the year 2000, the range of products marketed GAMMA was truly wide: three varieties of milk, flavored milk, buttermilk, four varieties family powder, two varieties of butter, five varieties of cheese, two varieties of ghee clarified butter), chocolates, chocolate drink, sweets, ice cream, edible oils and fruit and vegetable based rodents. Exhibit 5 gives the product portfolio of GAMMA as on the year 2000. At the Iambi.Except in ice creams, chocolate and chocolate-based beverages, Maul brand was the market leader in each and every one of its products. Exhibit 5 also shows the market shares of the various products of GAMMA. Its main sources of competitive advantage were seen its executives as: (I) low costs due to th e elimination of middle men, a lean organization and relatively lower pay scales as compared to Macs (it) its scale and scope of operations and (iii)its strong brand name which stood for purity and laity. Out of the total procurement of 4. 6 million liters of milk per day by GAMMA, about 2. Million liters were sold as liquid milk and the rest as milk products. The milk consumption in India in 1999 at about 225 grams per day was still way below that in developed countries, and even less than in many developing countries. The variation in availability between rural and urban areas was strikingly high: 121 grams vs.. 400 grams per day. Thus there was a need and scope for increasing the consumption of milk in its liquid form, especially in rural areas, although for every rupee spent, the attrition value of milk was way below other high protein and fat items, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.It was expected that by the year 2011-12, the milk production in India would reach 180. 76 mill ion tons, and the per capita consumption would be about 547 grams 12 . Exports were negligible: about RSI. 271 million in 1999-2000 13 Out of Gammas total income of RSI. 18 billion, approximately RSI. 2. 75 billion was accounted for by sale of liquid milk; about RSI. 3 billion by the sale of edible oils; RSI. 4 billion by butter; about RSI. 2. 4 billion by ice creams; and the rest by the other products. The exact breakup of these products was not available.The share of processed fruits and vegetable items was still quite small. The growth rates of Gammas sales in differentiates were quite different. The following table gives the approximate growth rates in these segments: Table 1 Growth rates in Gamma's Businesses (Percent) 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 Liquid milk procurement 24. 6 3. 8 3. 6 Liquid milk N. A. 14 10 Butter 27 8 13 Cheese N. A. 37 39 Ghee 41 31 N. A. Milk powder 0 0 18 Ice cream N. A. 100 100 Edible oils 13 20 18 (N. A. Stands for â€Å"not applicable†). Source: GAM MA Annual reports.The profit margin in milk was generally low, due to the need to keep down the price of this essential commodity, which was also consumed by the poor and the lower of milk consumption, especially by the poorer people, and hence to achieve its objective, GAMMA endeavored to keep the price of liquid milk as low as it could. Edibles were also low margin items, their sales prices being controlled rigidly by the government and input prices being essentially set by the oil traders. In the words of Mr.. Current, they were in this business due to larger societal considerations than for the sake of profits.Competition in Different Products The nature of competition varied among the different products. In the case of liquid milk, competition was from private dairies and contractors. There was also competition from newly emerging private dairies that had started supplying milk to the consumers as well as sweet makers. There was intense competition for the supply of milk, which was sought after, especially in the festival seasons, by the sweet makers who derived large profits from the sale of their sweets. Consumers were generally not very particular about the brand of liquid milk, so that the sales pended to a large extent on dealer push.However, there was scope to establish differentiation through appraising the customers of the quality not only of the initial milk itself, but also the quality of the supply chain, which ensured the stability of milk. For butter and cheese, new entrants were making their mark. Britannic, a firm engaged in manufacture and sale of biscuits, had entered into foods business, and more particularly in milk and milk related products such as butter. Britannic had introduced new forms of cheese such as cheddar cheese slices, and supported its rodents with extensive advertising campaigns.It was believed that advertisements played a powerful roller the demand for particular brands of butter and cheese. The sweet market was highly f ragmented, heterogeneous small time local operators producing their own brands and unbranded forms of sweets. The sales of sweets soared in the festival seasons, drawing milk supply by offering higher prices. Other food companies such as Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HALL), a subsidiary of Milliners, and Nestle had also entered into the business of ready made or near ready sweets (such s gulag Cajun, which Just needed tube deep fried to get it ready).Branded ready or near ready sweets were advertised and heavily promoted through campaigns such as through mail orders to housewives. The ice creams market was an emerging marketing India, witnessing the entry of numerous players. The national scene was dominated bandstand Lever with its Quality and Walls brands, accounting for about 45 percent of the market. GAMMA was the other national player, with about 30 percent of the market. There were, in addition, very powerful regional players such as Vidalia Ice Creams in the WesternIndia who commande d substantial (in excess of 30 percent) of the regional market shares. Ice creams were largely promoted through local promotions, hoardings (billboards) and advertisements. About ice creams, Mr.. Vass said in an interview with the case writer: In ice creams, positioning and promotions are not the only things. Indian ice cream market is likely to expand very rapidly. The Indian consumerism changing. They will not Just stick to milk. Ice creams will no longer be made at home. A large number of consumers with disposable incomes will seek value added products, including ice

International Management/Application Exercises Essay

Make a list of the reasons you would want to accept a foreign assignment and a list of reasons you would want to reject it. Do they depend on the locations? Compare your list with a classmate and discuss your reasons. Living in a culture that has a different language, different customs, and a different work style is exciting, and an once-in-a-lifetime experience. It can give your career a significant boost as well as broaden your horizons. But â€Å"global† assignments, as many companies call them today, have a downside, too. It’s true that some parts of the world are dangerous for Americans and other visitors, but in most global postings the challenges have more to do with different cultures and different ways of doing business. The good thing about accepting a foreign assignment: builds the resume when you are invited to take an International Relocation you should take it because there may be no other experience that adds to your resume more, become a multi-cultural pro when you take an International Assignment it gives you an opportunity to add to your multi-cultural tool belt. Every day you will be challenged by cultures different from your own in the workplace. Learning to manage people of different cultures than your own is an increasingly valuable asset today. While advantageous for some, international assignments aren’t right for everyone. Only you and those close to you can decide if you want to live and work in a different country, and if so, at which point in time. If success on your career path requires international experience and you are unable to take on an international assignment at this time for any reason, there are other ways to gain global exposure. These might include short-term assignments in other locations, jobs that involve cross-border interaction, or a task force made up of a global team. There’s a downside to working abroad: The difficulty of being away from friends and family. It’s especially hard if you move overseas alone, problems adjusting to living in a foreign country. Many people have a difficult time dealing with cultural differences, extreme disorientation. It can take several days or more to get used to living and working in a different time zone, a chance of getting sick. In tropical climates, malaria and dysentery are common. Different health care and sanitation practices must be considered, you’re out of touch with the home office. Many changes can occur in the space of two or three years, such as new management, mergers and acquisitions, and promotions, technological change. Technology in foreign countries can be years behind the United States. It could take several months to digest all the changes when you get home, your company may be reluctant to have you return. Keeping an experienced employee in an overseas post is often easier than training a replacement, and returning to your old job could be difficult, both for you and your coworkers.

FNP questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FNP questions - Essay Example Some showing healing facilities offer 3-year confirmation programs in nursing; nonetheless, these projects are uncommon. Most Rns gain cohort degrees or four-year certifications in nursing. My expert foundation begins with a copartner degree in nursing from my group professional montage. I have been in preparing on the group clinic while as of now completing my course. The things that I managed are Adult and family wellbeing, Psychiatric nursing, Pharmacology, Human advancement, Anatomy and physiology to practice in the calling, enlisted medical attendants must be authorized. While licenses prerequisites fluctuate as indicated by state, they regularly incorporate section of a state-affirmed preparing project and the National Council Licenser Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Directed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the NCLEX-RN blankets subjects like psychosocial and physiological honesty, wellbeing advancement and contamination control. Contingent upon the state, Rns may be obliged to meet extra licenser necessities. With respect to me, I have fulfilled all the prerequisites and have turned into an ensured medical caretaker (Pfeiffer, W ickline, Deetz & Berry, 2012). A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an enrolled medical caretaker who has typically finished either a graduate degree or doctoral degree and experienced preparing in the judgment and administration of basic medicinal conditions. After I completed my preparation as an Rns I kept on becoming a FNP my experience as a FNP was overpowering with a bigger number of obligations and more work than my past status. The education has definitely increased with more books and more practice in the hospitals. Working with a mixture of patients, from pediatric to geriatric, or represent considerable authority in one of various conceivable regions, for example, neo-natal serious forethought, heart mind, neurologic

Are Families Dangerous Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Are Families Dangerous - Literature review Example Despite the article being chilling to read and despite the incidents along with the evidence lending a shade of authenticity and truth to the point, I fail to relate to or adopt her point of view. In my opinion, just because a dysfunctional family’s meanderings catch the attention of the media does not necessarily mean that there is an automatic disintegration of family units everywhere. Simply put, not all families are dysfunctional. Not every single family is a â€Å"nest of pathology and a cradle of gruesome violence† (Ehrenreich 37) as she writes in the opening paragraphs of the article. In the following paragraph, she attributes a family to be a â€Å"safe haven in a heartless world† (Ehrenreich 37) appearing to change her stance by saying that the family â€Å"nurtures warm, loving feelings, uncontaminated by greed or power hunger† (Ehrenreich 37). That she does not agree with the statements is given away by the fact that she makes use of the words à ¢â‚¬Å"theoretically and sometimes actually† before stating them. ... outcomes and bruised egos and broken personalities being the least, she does present a very strong case against a unit that everyone from celebrities to politicians, to the common man are in favor of. She does, however, miss the fundamental point that one cannot generalize or stereotype on the bases of individual incidents. What happens in one family does not reflect badly on another. One bad deed by one person (or in this case, some bad deeds committed by some people) does not condemn the whole human race. Just like it is wrong for a person to assert that all humanity is bent upon murdering, by pointing out to the killings and murders that are a part of our societal lives, similarly, her logic in this regard is flawed. Ehrenreich states that for a woman, home â€Å"is, statistically speaking, the most dangerous place to be† (Ehrenreich 37) and that an individual is in more danger with relatives than with strangers. She once again uses child abuse as a supporting point in her argument. Once again, she misses seeing the point that for every individual who has been exposed to such torment, there are hundreds out there who have not and are safe and loved in their homes. Yes, according to her, we do â€Å"learn nasty things like hate and rage and shame† (Ehrenreich 37) from family. But also, in her own preceding words in the same paragraph, the â€Å"family teaches the finest things human beings can learn from one another – generosity and love† (Ehrenreich 37). And this is the side of the argument I would rather stick to. We do, indeed learn a lot of good things from our family and are often indebted to them for instilling in us the moral compass that we carry around, figuratively, with us.  

To what extent is 'free jazz' really free Essay

To what extent is 'free jazz' really free - Essay Example History has a considerable degree of accuracy. The harmonic complication and improvisational enthusiasm of the typical bop combo were far from the user-friendly sound of big band swing, and the forbidding outer reaches of the 1960s. Free jazz was plainly antithetical to the notion of a mass audience. During the 20th century, most of its mass audience was mostly individuals of the low social class, prostitutes, alcoholics, and drug addicts (Stanbridge, 2008). However, after the world war two, jazz music becomes a major hit, especially in the northern America. This saw some of the best recording taking place; this includes Miles Davis who composed the kind of blue jazz music title. Also, Dave with the song timeout was successful in their singing. This is because they brought out the freshness and introduced a young audience to jazz. The success that comes from jazz made it be featured in movies and magazines. Nonetheless, of the breakthrough, it still retained its association with subs tance abuse, criminality and the shabby side of life.Jazz music began to occupy a different role in the community in the early 70s. the beginning of the 21st century marked its complete revolution both to the public and to the music industry. The general conceptualization of the music associated with a narrowly defined notion of the jazz norm has been instrumental not only as a marketing category but has served to influence the rapid mainstream positioning of an enclosed, neo-traditionalist category of jazz. This has seen particular styles and forms privileged over others. For a period of time jazz become part of life to individuals. Films industries were not left out as they also had a piece of the cake. Movies preferred choice of music was jazz, this had robust impact on the movies for they got publicity faster (Racy, 2004).

Patient Internet Guide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Patient Internet Guide - Essay Example This research is being carried out to evaluate and present some useful advices which would help to learn more about a medical condition through online search: Preferably, the site must be sponsored by a medical institution, organization or association. There is a high probability that medical professionals are behind the content of such sites. An example of which is Mayoclinic.com. Avoid sites that look shabbily presented. Good sites invest money, effort and time to establish impact and credibility to the readers. As much as possible, the site must be a registered domain and not just a simple blog that can disappear anytime. Check the site’s domain name and standing in Better Business Bureau. The site must have a disclaimer stating that the information presented is not in any way a substitute for medical advice. Never give your personal information unless the site can be trusted. More importantly, the site must ensure that your personal information would not be shared. Search for forums where people give feedback about certain sites. User experience is a reliable way to get good comments or criticism about a certain site. Avoid forums that have members arguing all of the time. Remember, you need information not arguments. The site must present valid source of references for their journals or articles. Sites with peer-reviewed journals are highly preferable.  

Blood Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blood - Assignment Example He also proved that some people’s red blood cells agglutinated. Landsteiner also came up with 3 new ways of thinking and identified existence 3 kinds of cells A, B, as well as C (Daniels, 2013). Thus, the determinant gene of ABO blood type for instance is found on chromosome 9 and is referred to as glycosyltransferase .In addition, the ABO locus is made of 3 key allelic kinds: A, B and O as discussed above and every one of them was responsible for the production of its glycoprotein better known as antigens which are always found in the blood cells of an individual and thus their ABO blood group. Therefore the A as well as B blood types are due to various antigens (they provoke immune responses) on the red blood cells’ surface. The production of antigens is usually under the DNA. Thus antigens emanate from a red blood cell surface precursor known as H substance-common to A,B as well as O. Placement of N-acetylgalactosesamine results in type A enzyme which is transferase on the H kind of substance. The attachment of galactose to H by group B transferase resulted in the formation of group B (Daniels, 2013). On the other hand, type O comes about from a basic joint mutation that adversely destroyed or reduced the potential of Type A transferase to attach the mandatory N-acetylgalactosesamine to H substance. As studies have shown on monkeys, human blood types are very archaic genetic indicators which have been evolving for several million years ago. On the basis of primary races thesis hypothesis. In addition, it has always been held that the 3 main races of man, Europe blood group A, Asian blood type B and eventually blood group O in South America. These 3 groups have been emerging gradually because of the mixing and migration of the races leading to the current situation (Daniels, 2013). Another postulation about the origin of blood types is that emergence of every blood group A and b as well as their subgroups was as a result of successive

Research the negatives of Charter schools in LAUSD school system Paper

The negatives of Charter schools in LAUSD school system - Research Paper Example It is located in board district 1, local district 3, South Burnside Avenue, at 5100 Wilshire BLVD, in Los Angeles, CA. it serves approximately 300 students in grade 6-8. Charter schools have brought about criticism in education system especially in Los Angeles. The race of schools to provide quality education and maintain a position at the top has increased the support for charter schools in Los Angeles (Jack Buckley 3). The current struggle seen between LAUSD school board and union over charter schools represents the thirst for quality and top position. The quality of schools in Los Angeles is very low. They do o respond to the educational needs of the Los Angeles community. This observation clearly shows that something has to be done to bring a desired change. Despite the fact, that t it is clear that schools in Los Angeles need radical change, charter schools are not the answer for the required change (Jack Buckley 3). Charter schools have been criticized for not meeting the requi rements of the change required to solve the problem of low quality education in Los Angeles. Critics state that charter schools provide the best in terms of educational performance but still ignore important aspects of the society. The problem about charter schools started at the same time that charter schools began (Whitney 194). ... For instance, in a report compiled by UCLA civil rights project in 2003, Gary Orfield noted that people had an early concern with regard to the ability of charter schools to represent the minority (Whitney 95). They were concerned that charter schools would admit white students as they would escape diverse public schools. Others noted that charter schools would compromise public schools further to offer poor education to those who would not afford to pay for charter schools. In addition, this would result to discrimination of students based on the schools they occupy and consequently their social class in society (Whitney 195). Other people criticized charter schools stating that they are more business oriented than education oriented because they get their funding from a variety of sources that includes private investment. Private firms are allowed to fund Charter schools and can get profits when these schools perform. The schools are managed for profit. However, when charter school s fail to realize its target private investors leave for other business viable places. This means that the schools are closed thereby depriving students a right to continuous education (Jack Buckley 43). Therefore, some argued that the schools would promote profit-making ideals as opposed to educating children. Others argued that the profit would assist those schools achieve success. The government as well as private investors fund charter schools. They are funded through the federal categorical funding. They are opposed by teacher unions, antiracial groups and activists, private researchers and parents and students who favor public school system(Jack Buckley 43). According to Grading the Chartering Organizations, 2003, most states had a few resources for oversight

Quality Indicators for Safe Medication Preparation and Administration Essay Example for Free

Quality Indicators for Safe Medication Preparation and Administration Essay Being passionate about caring and helping others has influenced and inspired me to enter the medical field and has then encouraged me to become a registered nurse in the Philippines. I have worked in a public hospital located in Manila which caters health care services for people presenting infectious and tropical diseases. One day, I had an admission who was diagnosed with an Acute Gastroenteritis secondary to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The doctor ordered a new antibiotic that should be given intravenously. When the antibiotic was already at hand, I administered the medication with the 100ml solution of normal saline to the patient. Afterward, because of a lot of toxicity in the area caused by a large number of patients, I forgot to reassess the patient whom I gave the antibiotic initially. I was surprised when I got back, the patient was already experiencing an allergic reaction to the antibiotic that the skin was flushed and generalized rashes were observed. I referred the patient immediately to the resident on duty and anti-histamine medications were given right away. Because of the incident happened, I felt overwhelmed with fear due to the possible consequences I had in my mind that the patient might suffer. I had been administering antibiotics many times in the past, but this situation made me feel guilty and uneasy. I even questioned myself if I am really that competent enough to do medical interventions to the patients. A nurse’s role is to render a high quality of care at all times. The reactions of the antibiotic would have been prevented if the proper assessment has been executed. Being knowledgeable in interventions especially medication administration is essential in my role, that I felt I didn’t accomplish fully. I documented all that happened to the patient and I made an internal incident report so that the other team members would be well-informed about the situation and also proper endorsements were done. Further errors and complications will be prevented through active management and effective reporting system would ensure patient’s safety. Administration of medicines to individuals who are ill is part of nurse’s responsibility to deliver holistic and optimal care (Veitch Christie 2007). In the Philippines, nurses are required to practice methodical approach that follows local polices. In regards to my own experience, nurses practice 10 rights of medication administration that are intended to protect patients from any misconduct in promoting health. Some of the key things I have learned include developing my time management, multi-tasking, and organizational habits. One of the ways I would change what I did then would be to assess before and after administering certain medication to the patient especially if it’s an initial dose. I am now more cautious and responsible for my actions when delivering holistic care. Although I should’ve reassessed the patient, the experience I have gained from this has made me more mindful of patient’s rights that safeguard patient’s well-being. In the future, I think I would try to deal with this by improving the level of my competence and not neglect the aspects of nursing as a caring profession. I will continue to provide genuine care to the patients through further developing my skills in performing the 10 rights of medication administration. I intend to become more careful and as well as confident when protecting the health of my patients from possible risks of any treatment and health practices. As a registered nurse, I aim to advance my knowledge and skills that will befit the needs of the clients. Therefore, even if this experience for me was a challenge, I took it as an advantage to help me understand the importance of values in nursing and will guide me in tackling different instances and situations in the future.

Chemistry thermo lab, Hesss Law Essay Example for Free

Chemistry thermo lab, Hesss Law Essay Introduction: In this lab, we will be determining the change in enthalpy for the combustion reaction of magnesium (Mg) using Hess’s law. Procedure: 1. React about 100 mL of 1.00 M hydrochloric acid with 0.80 g of MgO. Note the change in temperature and any qualitative data. 2. React about 100 mL of 1.00 M hydrochloric acid with 0.50 g of Mg. Note the change in temperature and any qualitative data. Raw Data: Quantitative: Reaction, trial Mass ( ± 0.01 g) Initial temperature ( ± 0.1à ¢Ã‚ ° C) Final temperature ( ± 0.1à ¢Ã‚ ° C) Volume of HCl ( ± 0.05 mL) Reaction 1, Trial 1 0.80 22.0 26.9 100.00 Reaction 1, Trial 2 0.80 22.2 26.9 100.00 Reaction 2, Trial 1 0.50 21.6 44.4 100.00 Reaction 2, Trial 2 0.50 21.8 43.8 100.00 Qualitative: 1. Hydrochloric acid is colorless and odorless 2. Magnesium tape is shiny after cleaning it from oxidants, increasing its purity. 3. In both reactions, the solution became bubbly. 4. There was a strong odor from the reaction. Data Processing: Trial 1: Reaction 1: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. 3. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. 4. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. 3. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. 3. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. Now, we do reaction 2, trial 1 so we can use Hess’s law to calculate the change in enthalpy of formation, but first we are going to calculate the uncertainty in this expression: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. 3. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Reaction 2: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. I will now calculate the uncertainties: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Now, we use Hess’s law to calculate the change of enthalpy of formation: 1. MgO(s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2O(l) 2. Mg (s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2 (g) 3. H2(g) + 0.5 O2(g) H2O(l) (given) By reversing reaction number 1, we can get our targeted reaction: Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s) Now to calculate the change of enthalpy, which will be the change of enthalpy of formation? 1. 2. Our final result is: 1. Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s) Random error and percent error: We can calculate the random error by just adding the random errors of the component reactions: 1. 2. 3. As for the percent error: 1. 2. 3. Trial 2: Reaction 1: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. 3. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. 3. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. Now, we do reaction 2, trial 1 so we can use Hess’s law to calculate the change in enthalpy of formation, but first we are going to calculate the uncertainty in this expression: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. 3. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Reaction 2: First, we have to calculate the ΔT by subtracting the final temperature by initial temperature: 1. 2. Now we calculate the mass of the solution, assuming it has the density as water: 1. 2. 3. Now, we can use q=mc ΔT to calculate the energy gained by the solution: 1. 2. Therefore: 1. Now, we have to calculate the number of moles for MgO: 1. 2. We can now calculate the change in enthalpy by dividing the q of the reaction by the moles of the limiting reagent: 1. I will now calculate the uncertainties: First, we calculate the uncertainty for the: 1. 2. Now for mass: 1. 2. As for the energy gained: 1. 2. Now for the energy of the reaction: 1. It is multiplied by an integer (-1) so it is the same unc. As for the moles: 1. 2. Finally, the change in enthalpy: 1. 2. 3. Now to calculate the change of enthalpy, which will be the change of enthalpy of formation: 1. 2. Our final result is: 1. Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s) Random error and percent error: We can calculate the random error by just adding the random errors of the component reactions: 1. 2. 3. As for the percent error: 1. 2. 3. Processed data: Trial 1 Trial 2 of reaction 1 -104 kJ/mol ( ± 2.10%) -99 kJ/mol ( ± 2.19%) of reaction 2 -463 kJ/mol ( ± 0.509%) -446 kJ/mol ( ± 0.525%) of MgO -645 kJ/mol ( ± 2.61%) -633 kJ/mol ( ± 2.72%) Conclusion and Evaluation: In this lab, we determined the standard enthalpy change of formation of MgO using Hess’s law. First, we reacted HCl with MgO for the first reaction and got -104 kJ/mol ( ± 2.10%) for trial 1 and -99 kJ/mol ( ± 2.19%) for trial 2. As for reaction 2, where you react, I got -463 kJ/mol ( ± 0.509%) for trial 1 and -446 kJ/mol ( ± 0.525%) for trial 2. When we use Hess’s Law, we have to reverse reaction 1 to get the targeted equation, Mg (s) + 0.5 O2(g) MgO(s), and we get an enthalpy change value of -645 kJ/mol ( ± 2.61%) for trial 1, and -633 kJ/mol ( ± 2.72%) for trial 2. For trial 1, my value got a percent error of 7.14%, which is not that bad considering the weaknesses this lab had that will be discussed in the evaluation. However, in trial 2, I got a better percent error, which is 5.15%, we got a better value because we had a bigger ΔH values thus when adding them (since one of them is positive and the other two is negative) we get a smaller value for the enthalpy change of formation thus bringing us closer to the theoretical value. The biggest weakness in this lab was the impurity of the substances, the assumptions that we made about the HCl solution, for example, we assumed that the specific heat capacity of the solution is the same as water, which is an assumption that is not a 100% accurate and affected our ΔH values for both reactions and eventually our final ΔHf value. To fix this, In the different range of specific heat capacity values, 4.10 j/g k would have been more appropriate to get closer to our theoretical values, as you get a bigger qrxn values thus bigger ΔH values. Another thing that I noticed is that the theoretical value that I got was the â€Å"Standard† enthalpy change of formation. Standard meaning at standard conditions which are at 293 K and 101.3 kPa for pressure. These weren’t the conditions in the lab when I did the experiment. This might alter the experimental value closer to the theoretical value reducing the percent error.

Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes

Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes ABSTRACT Anthropogenic climate change is a phenomenon that has received much attention in the last few decades, and for good reason. Since the renowned studies carried out by Dr. Rowland and Dr. Molina, which began in the 1970s on Ozone depletion, subsequent studies have revealed that human activity is causing the planet’s atmospheric and surface temperatures to rise and may also be a major contributor towards climate shift, due by and large by the release of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse particulates and gases in to the atmosphere. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. Since the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the UK government is committed to the agreement to reduce UK carbon emission by 80% by the year 2050. It has been suggested that the 21 million homes in the UK account for around a quarter of the total carbon emissions into the atmosphere. With the current government’s indication to increase the number of dwellings to 3 million by the year 2020 due to the rising population, a greater effort is needed to reduce carbon emissions within the housing sector; a drive that will aid the UK Government’s long-term commitment to the United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. The government is responding to the challenge quite firmly and has set out strict targets to reduce energy use in new dwellings. To implement such a monumental task, the government has put in place a scheme called the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which sets out criteria for reducing energy for all new dwellings. Gordon Brown’s Governments’ main objective is for all new dwellings to be Zero-Carbon by 2016. The current research paper sets out to identify the impediments that may prevent Gordon Brown’s policy of achieving the zero carbon homes challenge and also to determine the drivers in achieving zero carbon homes across the board by 2016. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank the individuals who have assisted in the production of this dissertation. A special thank you must go to my supervising tutor Dr. Michael Coffey, whose wisdom and guidance provided support and inspiration towards completing this dissertation. I would also like to thank all those persons who responded to the research questionnaire, which made a significant contribution towards the production of this dissertation. Finally I would like to thank my wife Uzma and children Saqlain, Aaliyah and Owais for their support and for putting up with my neglect towards them in the last few months. Thank you again! Section 1 – Introduction Nature of the Problem Since the Industrial revolution in the late 18th century, greenhouse gas emissions have increased considerably. Scientists have observed that a third of the Sun’s energy that is directed towards the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere is reflected back into space, whilst the remaining energy is absorbed by the surface of the planet and to a lesser extent by the planet’s atmosphere. Anthropogenic influence upon climate change is partly caused by the escalation of excess greenhouse gases emitted in to the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, principally influenced by the burning of fossil fuels. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. The problem scientists have determined is that the sun radiates tremendous amounts of light energy emitted in short wavelengths, however the heat energy released from the surface of the planet itself is released in long wavelengths. Whilst carbon dioxide does not absorb the sun’s energy, it does however absorb heat energy from the planet i.e. long wavelength energy. Therefore when a molecule of carbon dioxide absorbs heat energy, the molecule goes into an excited unstable state. The molecule becomes stable again by releasing the energy that is absorbed. Therefore much of this energy remains within the earth’s atmosphere, whilst the rest of the energy will go out into space. Carbon dioxide therefore allows the light energy from the sun to pass but does not allow all of the heat within the earth’s atmosphere to be released into to outer space, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect. Ultimately causing the temperature of the planet to rise. Illustration courtesy of www.dinosaurfact.net Pro-Active Response to the Problem In response to the Kyoto Protocol’s commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the UK must reduce it’s baseline greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% by 2008 2012 from a baseline target set in 1990. Furthermore, the draft Climate Change Bill commits the UK to reductions of C02 emissions of at least 26% by the year 2020 and also to a long-term goal of an 80% reduction by 2050 (Energy Saving Trust) Housing within the UK contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The UK’s 21million homes account for around 27% of the overall carbon emissions released in to the atmosphere (Skandamoorthy, 2007) and with the current Government’s promise to construct 3 million new homes by the year 2020, the need to address the carbon situation within the housing sector is of paramount importance (BBC News, 2007. New agency to drive home building) Traditionally the construction industry has had little regard for the environment, which makes common ground for producing buildings without energy efficiency in mind. It is only until recent times has the consumption of energy been an important agenda in the house building industry, as advancements in energy efficiency playing an important role in the design of buildings built today, due partly to the crucial role being played by the stringent building regulations; pushing the boundaries further to make buildings more energy efficient. In response to the current situation with regards to reducing carbon emissions within the housing industry the government introduced in 2006 the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) scheme (a successor to the Eco Homes rating scheme). At the moment the code is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency and sustainability, applying to newly built homes in the private sector however, it is mandatory where public sector (Homes and Communities Agency) funding is involved. The code aims to deliver a standard guideline for house builders in the UK and addresses key areas of sustainability such as water use and C02 emissions in house building and use. A rating system has been developed within in the code, which measures the ability of the building’s efficiency in terms of energy use. The code’s rating system ranges between levels 1 and 6. Level 6 being the highest level of efficiency and is the level that is most appropriate and applicable to the current study, which is the attain ment of ‘zero carbon status’ (Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide, 2007) The Government has indicated that the code will become the single national standard for the design and construction of sustainable homes and is set to become a vehicle for the development of sustainable home building practice in the UK (Code for Sustainable Homes, 1997) The subject of interest is whether the government and the building profession can implement and administer an effective strategy that will allow all new homes to achieve the highly challenging standards of incorporating level 6 rating to dwellings across the board to allow zero carbon status of newly built homes by 2016. Why is there a lack of zero carbon dwellings in the United Kingdom? The problem that presents itself is that the conscious world has accepted that the global warming phenomenon is a serious threat to the planet. Up until recent times carbon emissions and the negative effects being imposed by them upon the environment were not clearly understood, or even thought about in many respects and therefore not a major issue in the housing industry. Recent studies have reported that homes contribute around 27% of total UK carbon emissions. For this reason the housing industry may not have grasped the technologies sufficiently to mass-produce zero carbon homes. Because demand may have been low for zero carbon dwellings it may indicate that there may be a premium cost to build zero carbon homes and therefore not in the best interests of financiers and developers, who may not receive healthy returns on assuming risk for building such assets. Lack of enforceability may be another issue why such dwellings have not been mass-produced. Maybe the supply of materials t o produce such assets may be lacking in availability; again this may be as a consequence of low demand, which may also contribute towards extra cost. It is not clear that any of these scenarios are either singularly or collectively responsible for the slow progress in developing zero carbon homes. Therefore the current study will examine the various drivers and barriers that influence the development of zero carbon developments such as cost, legislation, market demand, available technology and the supply chain. The identification of these factors will provide a basic analysis to determine whether the policy of achieving the zero carbon homes policy by 2016 across the board is actually feasible. Section 2 – Review of zero carbon homes legislation Few green policies have had quite such an impact on a sector as the zero carbon homes policy has had in housing says John Alker, Head of Advocacy at the UK Green Building Council. In December 2006 the government introduced a commitment plan which formulated a requirement that all new homes are to be zero carbon from the year 2016 onwards. The initial proposal was formally communicated via the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) technical guide, which is based on and replaces the Ecohomes national standard for sustainable design and construction for new housing in the UK in April 2007. The code stated that a building would emit zero net carbon emissions from heating, hot water, lighting, appliance use and cooking. All CO2 reductions had to be achieved by local off-site means connected to the building by a direct physical connection. However, more recently the government defined a zero carbon dwelling as one which generates 70% of the energy it uses for heating, ventilation and lighting f rom on-site renewable energy (The Energy Saving Trust). Meeting the criteria would enable the home to be rated as a code level 6 home; the highest star rating achievable in terms of the Code, thus certificating the home as a zero carbon dwelling. The acquisition of a code level 6 certificate will allow first hand purchasers of zero carbon homes up to the value of  £500,000 exemption from paying stamp duty land tax (SDLT). Homes above the  £500,000 threshold will enjoy a  £15,000 reduction towards the stamp duty bill (Section 58b, 2007 Finance Bill) It should be noted that the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) is currently UK legislation and its implementation is optional to use apart from developments funded by the government (BRE, EcoHomes, 2007). The government has indicated that home builders are encouraged to follow the guidelines of the Code now as adherence to the Code will become mandatory in the future for all new house building (Code for Sustainable Homes, 2006) The government has also provided an incentive for the installation of energy saving materials and micro-generation apparatus by reducing the VAT to 5%. This VAT decrease only applies to the UK however, â€Å"the European Commission is committed to bringing forward proposals for a change to the Principal VAT Directive to allow an EU-wide reduction in VAT for green products, particularly those aimed at improving energy efficiency in buildings† (HM Treasury, 2008) The UK government aims to reach their stated goal of 80% carbon dioxide reduction in the UK by 2050 through implementing progressive tightening of the building regulations. The tightening of the regulations is to be maintained in three phases in 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The graph on the previous page shows the target reductions for each phase. These target reductions equate to the energy performance standards in the governments vehicle for reducing CO2 in housing; the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) Levels 3, 4, and 6 respectively; highlighting the governments progressive strategy to achieving carbon zero homes by 2016. Source: (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The primary method of measurement of energy efficiency for the Building Regulations is the dwelling Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rate (DER), which is an estimate of CO2 per metre squared of floor area. Currently (2010) the improvement in the DER is said to be 25% compared to the 2006 level. An improvement of 44% is required in 2013 and ultimately a 100% improvement which is incidentally zero carbon for all new homes built in 2016. An analysis of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) The code seeks to make improvements in energy efficiency and water usage upon those required by the Building Regulations Part L 2006. The code will compliment the system of energy performance certificates that was introduced in 2007 by the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD). At present the Code is voluntary, however house builders are encouraged to utilise the Code as a guideline for house building practice, as the government states that the code will be mandatory in the future. Energy efficiency is measured at every level of the code by assessing nine individual design categories, with higher level of sustainability performance achieving a high code rating. The Code measures the following design categories: The code implements a procedure which mirrors the BRE’s EcoHomes system in its method of assessment, which relies on trained and accredited independent assessors to inspect the homes. Design stage assessments are conducted by the assessors who on completion of the assessment recommend a sustainable code rating for the home being assessed and will issues an interim certificate. On completion of the development a post completion assessment is carried out by the inspector, who will on completion of the final checks issue a final code certificate which states the level achieved and therefore be given a CSH code rating. A home meeting any level of the Code will have to meet minimum standards for certain items depending on what Level is desired. For Level 6 this means: The home will have to be completely zero carbon (i.e. zero net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home). This could be achieved by: †¢ Improving the thermal efficiency of the walls, windows, and roof as far as is practically possible (by using more insulation or better glass for example); †¢ Reducing air permeability to the minimum consistent with health requirements (a certain amount of air ventilation is needed in a home for health reasons); †¢ Installing a high efficiency condensing boiler, or being on a district heating system; †¢ Carefully designing the fabric of the home to reduce thermal bridging (thermal bridging allows heat to easily escape between the inner walls and the outer walls of a home); †¢ Using low and zero carbon technologies such as solar thermal panels, biomass boilers, wind turbines, and combined heat and power systems (CHP). It would mean for example that energy taken from the national grid would have to be replaced by low or zero carbon generated energy, so that over a year the net emissions were zero. The home will have to be designed to use no more than about 80 litres of water per person per day. This could be achieved by fitting such items as: †¢ 6/4 Dual Flush WC; †¢ Flow Reducing/Aerating taps throughout; †¢ 6-9 litres per minute shower (note that an average electric shower is about 6/7 litres per minute); †¢ a smaller, shaped bath – still long enough to lie down in, but less water required to fill it to a level consistent with personal comfort; †¢ 18ltr maximum volume dishwasher; †¢ 60ltr maximum volume washing machine. To achieve the standard would also mean that about 30% of the water requirement of the home was provided from non-potable sources such as rainwater harvesting systems or grey water recycling systems. Other minimum requirements are required for: †¢ Surface water management – this may mean the provision of soakaways and areas of porous paving; †¢ Materials – this means a minimum number of materials meeting at least a ‘D’ grade in the Building Research Establishment’s Green Guide (the scale goes from A+ to E); †¢ Waste management – this means having a site waste management plan in place during the home’s construction, and adequate space for waste storage during its use. But to get to Level 6 you need a further 64.9 points. So the builder/developer must do many other things to obtain the other points. In fact they will need to do 90% of everything in the Code to achieve Level 6, including: †¢ Energy efficient appliances, and lighting; †¢ Supplying accessible water butts; †¢ Reducing surface water run-off as much as possible; †¢ Using highly environmentally friendly materials; †¢ Minimising construction waste; †¢ Maximum, accessible provision for recycling; †¢ Improved daylighting, sound insulation and security; †¢ Building to the Lifetime Homes standard; †¢ Assessing and minimising the ecological impact of the construction of the home Source of information: Code for Sustainable Homes – A step change in home building practice guide (2006) Section 3 Cost implications of constructing zero carbon homes During the last ten years house prices have continually increased due to the rising population and a slow response to the demand in terms of house building says Kate Barker in her 2004 survey on housing supply (Barker, K. 2004) See figures 1 and 4 below. It was the Barker report commissioned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown which gave recognition to the home building industry to investigate into improving the level of housing supply in the UK. The report concluded that the UK had a serious shortage of homes and was in much need of around 120,000 homes per year built by private house builders. The figures are in addition to the 150,000 homes which are currently being constructed per year by the house builders. The Barker report engaged the government to set an objective to increase the supply of houses being built in England of at least 200,000 per year by the year 2020. The housing market in the UK is considered by the UK government as an important arena in contributing towards regulating the nation’s economy. Putting this into perspective it is ironic that the Labour government since coming into power has changed housing ministers nine times in the last thirteen years. During the first year in office by the Labour government, it has seen a housing crisis which has seen a 190% increase in house prices with a house price to earnings ratio increase from 3.1 to 5.8. What this means is that whilst house prices have climbed dramatically, average salaries have not increased in proportion to the rising cost of house purchasing. The solution to controlling current house prices is to build more homes, however in 2009 only 118,000 new homes were constructed, which is less than half the annual amount required if the government’s target of an additional 3 million homes are to be constructed by the year 2020 (Alexander, 2010). How does this piece o f information relate to the cost of constructing zero carbon homes? Quite simply; the government has introduced a policy which aims to build an additional 3 million homes by the year 2020. The government is also pressing with the policy which aims to see all new homes constructed by the year 2016 to be zero carbon. The problem that presents itself is that the cost of building zero carbon homes includes a premium cost for building and subsequently purchasing such a property. If in the year 2009 only 118,000 homes were built, when quite clearly the government’s target is at least 200,000 per year to be in a position to meet the 3 million new homes target by 2020 and the cost of housing is already quite high, then how does Gordon Brown intend on maintaining the road map for two extraordinary targets which clash quite apparently. Last years figures prove that house building was at an all time low since 1946. These figures indicate that Gordon Brown’s government may have ov erlooked the situation and set a target which is perhaps extremely challenging if taking account of the current economic position of the UK economy. The Cyril Sweett Consultation In 2006 Cyril Sweett construction and property consultants were approached by the English Partnerships and Housing Corporation to report on the implications of the move from the Ecohomes standard of ‘Very good’ rating to the level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes. The research carried out by Cyril Sweett consultants reviewed six different types of houses which included four types which were constructed using traditional methods of construction and two with modern construction techniques. Cyril Sweett say that the findings of the research are not necessarily standard for all construction and consideration should given to project specific variables such as the area of construction, type of development, the supply chain etc; each having a variable effect on the cost of building in the stated methods of construction. Whilst the figures do not represent code level 6 developments, they do however give an indication of what the expected cost of building level 6 zero carbon homes ma y be if factored. The study made consideration to a whole host of construction methods and technological solutions to improve the performance of the home. The sole purpose of the research was to assess which methods of construction were the most economically viable to achieve the various code levels of the CfSH. However four scenarios were given in the report for expediency which are as follows: Scenario 1 Initial energy efficiency measures followed by the use of solar thermal technology, then photovoltaic and biomass systems. Scenario 2 Initial energy efficiency measures initially followed by the use of small scale wind turbines and then biomass systems. Scenario 3 Development with shared energy services, such as combined heat and power (CHP). For this scenario costs per unit are averaged for different infrastructure options for a theoretical 200 unit development. Scenario 4 Achievement of Code level 3 without recourse to renewable energies through the use of a whole house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and by assuming the use of proprietary construction details. The findings of the study found that projects which allowed for wind energy or site wide CHP technologies had scope for achieving the lowest costs. Again, it is stressed that projects are site specific therefore areas with low wind speeds may not be able to achieve satisfactory wind speeds to justify using wind energy technologies. The following tabulated data highlights the additional cost of achieving the code level 3 over the Ecohomes Very Good standard. The baseline cost for the abovementioned homes is  £92,107 for a 116m ² detached home and  £75,230 for a 101m ² end of terrace home, as specified or compliant with the 2006 building Regulations. It is an interesting observation that the implementation of Scenario 4 to achieve a code level 3 rating costs  £5,090 for a detached house and  £4,748 for a terraced house; an increase in cost of 5.4% and 6.2% respectively. What’s interesting about these figures is that Scenario 4 does not implement any renewable energy solutions such as photovoltaic cell technology but does make use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems. Scenario 4 does in many respects mirror the PassivHaus dwelling or Scandinavian homes method of building. Scenario 4 combined with advanced micro generation technologies could achieve level 6 zero carbon status but to enable this industry would need to invest further in research and development of enhancing the micro generation technologies, however the cost will be greatly increased. As with anything that is new there is a premium cost to be paid. But as more efforts are made and competition increases due to demand the cost of such technol ogies should decrease in time. The costing data provided in the Cyril Sweett report (2007) went further to report on the cost of achieving a level 5 rating of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), which is incidentally the highest level of code attainment data provided in the report. The following cost comparison data only makes reference to detached dwellings as the costing data for terraced houses are not too dissimilar to the detached houses. Scenario 1 The table shown above shows the cost of achieving a code level 5 rating of the CfSH using scenario 1, which to reiterate includes the use of solar thermal technology with photovoltaic and biomass systems. The cost attached to upgrading to level 5 costs an additional  £20,270, as shown in the table. Therefore an 18% increase above the baseline cost of building a detached home with a 116m ² area to the 2006 building regulatory standard, which totals  £111,476. Scenario 2 Utilising Scenario 2, a 116m ² Home built with small scale wind turbine and biomass technology will achieve a CfSH level 5 rating at a cost of  £14,206 above the baseline cost. A 14% increase totalling  £106,146 Scenario 3 Utilising Scenario 3, a 116m ² Home built using site wide CHP technology will achieve a CfSH level 4 rating at a cost of  £2,622 above the baseline cost. A 3% increase totalling  £93,828 Scenario 4 Utilising Scenario 4, a 116m ² Home built with improved air tightening and mechanical ventilation will achieve a CHS level 3 rating at a cost of  £4,481 above the baseline cost. A 5% increase totalling  £95,687 The cumulative graph shown above shows the cost of achieving each level of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) up to level 5, in comparison to each scenario detailed on the previous pages. The interesting thing about the comparative cost data provided by Cyril Sweett consultants is that to achieve level 5 of the code using scenario one costs  £36,070, which is an increase above the baseline cost of 28.6%. Obtaining a code level 5 rating using scenario two is achieved by allowing for an increase in cost above the baseline of  £20,746 which is a 22.7% increase. These figures provide an indication of what the likelihood cost for building code level 6 zero carbon homes are going be. Therefore it is estimated that for a similar type of dwelling the cost will be in excess of 30% above the 2006 Building Regulations baseline cost. A 30% increase in cost is quite substantial considering a home built to the prescribed building standards would cost approximately  £92,107, thus around a  £40,000 increase to implement code level 6 to the dwelling is a substantial amount and therefore cost is going to be a major factor in determining the success or failure of achieving the z ero carbon homes by 2016 target. Clearly the figures shown in this report show that the cost of producing zero carbon homes across the board is going to be a major obstacle if drastic changes and new solutions to reduce the cost of zero carbon technologies do not surface within the next few years leading up to the year 2016. The situation appears to be quite discomforting as affordability is going to negate the possibility of achieving not just the 2016 target but may also interfere with the 2020 target of building an additional three million new homes in the United Kingdom as less demand due to affordability will result in less homes being built and therefore cause a stalemate situation if the government alongside industry does not take steps to resolve the situation fast. Reductions in cost for bulk purchasing As stated earlier in the report cost reductions can be made through advances in technology and through competition as demand for zero carbon homes increases. Whilst the cost of achieving zero carbon is quite high at the moment, cost will gradually subside. The Cyril Sweett consultancy further reported that the purchase of materials and technology in bulk order will reduce the cost of producing zero carbon homes. Cyril Sweett representatives approached a number of suppliers of water and sustainable technologies. It was found that for large scale procurement i.e. 5000 units plus reductions in cost were achieved for the following technologies. (Cyril Sweett, 2007) Section 4 Methodology This chapter focuses on the methodology used in the production of the current research paper and will highlight the various stages of the research method. The purpose of the methodology is to provide the reader with an insight into what is expected in the report and how the research is to be conducted. The current study focuses on the UK government’s policy of â€Å"all homes to be Zero Carbon† by the year 2016 and investigates into the feasibility of the policy and further considers the impediments preventing the policy to materialise. The study also aims to identify the key drivers and barriers of achieving zero carbon homes by 2016 across the board. The study will explore key areas in the Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes ABSTRACT Anthropogenic climate change is a phenomenon that has received much attention in the last few decades, and for good reason. Since the renowned studies carried out by Dr. Rowland and Dr. Molina, which began in the 1970s on Ozone depletion, subsequent studies have revealed that human activity is causing the planet’s atmospheric and surface temperatures to rise and may also be a major contributor towards climate shift, due by and large by the release of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse particulates and gases in to the atmosphere. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. Since the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the UK government is committed to the agreement to reduce UK carbon emission by 80% by the year 2050. It has been suggested that the 21 million homes in the UK account for around a quarter of the total carbon emissions into the atmosphere. With the current government’s indication to increase the number of dwellings to 3 million by the year 2020 due to the rising population, a greater effort is needed to reduce carbon emissions within the housing sector; a drive that will aid the UK Government’s long-term commitment to the United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. The government is responding to the challenge quite firmly and has set out strict targets to reduce energy use in new dwellings. To implement such a monumental task, the government has put in place a scheme called the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which sets out criteria for reducing energy for all new dwellings. Gordon Brown’s Governments’ main objective is for all new dwellings to be Zero-Carbon by 2016. The current research paper sets out to identify the impediments that may prevent Gordon Brown’s policy of achieving the zero carbon homes challenge and also to determine the drivers in achieving zero carbon homes across the board by 2016. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank the individuals who have assisted in the production of this dissertation. A special thank you must go to my supervising tutor Dr. Michael Coffey, whose wisdom and guidance provided support and inspiration towards completing this dissertation. I would also like to thank all those persons who responded to the research questionnaire, which made a significant contribution towards the production of this dissertation. Finally I would like to thank my wife Uzma and children Saqlain, Aaliyah and Owais for their support and for putting up with my neglect towards them in the last few months. Thank you again! Section 1 – Introduction Nature of the Problem Since the Industrial revolution in the late 18th century, greenhouse gas emissions have increased considerably. Scientists have observed that a third of the Sun’s energy that is directed towards the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere is reflected back into space, whilst the remaining energy is absorbed by the surface of the planet and to a lesser extent by the planet’s atmosphere. Anthropogenic influence upon climate change is partly caused by the escalation of excess greenhouse gases emitted in to the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, principally influenced by the burning of fossil fuels. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. The problem scientists have determined is that the sun radiates tremendous amounts of light energy emitted in short wavelengths, however the heat energy released from the surface of the planet itself is released in long wavelengths. Whilst carbon dioxide does not absorb the sun’s energy, it does however absorb heat energy from the planet i.e. long wavelength energy. Therefore when a molecule of carbon dioxide absorbs heat energy, the molecule goes into an excited unstable state. The molecule becomes stable again by releasing the energy that is absorbed. Therefore much of this energy remains within the earth’s atmosphere, whilst the rest of the energy will go out into space. Carbon dioxide therefore allows the light energy from the sun to pass but does not allow all of the heat within the earth’s atmosphere to be released into to outer space, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect. Ultimately causing the temperature of the planet to rise. Illustration courtesy of www.dinosaurfact.net Pro-Active Response to the Problem In response to the Kyoto Protocol’s commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the UK must reduce it’s baseline greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% by 2008 2012 from a baseline target set in 1990. Furthermore, the draft Climate Change Bill commits the UK to reductions of C02 emissions of at least 26% by the year 2020 and also to a long-term goal of an 80% reduction by 2050 (Energy Saving Trust) Housing within the UK contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The UK’s 21million homes account for around 27% of the overall carbon emissions released in to the atmosphere (Skandamoorthy, 2007) and with the current Government’s promise to construct 3 million new homes by the year 2020, the need to address the carbon situation within the housing sector is of paramount importance (BBC News, 2007. New agency to drive home building) Traditionally the construction industry has had little regard for the environment, which makes common ground for producing buildings without energy efficiency in mind. It is only until recent times has the consumption of energy been an important agenda in the house building industry, as advancements in energy efficiency playing an important role in the design of buildings built today, due partly to the crucial role being played by the stringent building regulations; pushing the boundaries further to make buildings more energy efficient. In response to the current situation with regards to reducing carbon emissions within the housing industry the government introduced in 2006 the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) scheme (a successor to the Eco Homes rating scheme). At the moment the code is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency and sustainability, applying to newly built homes in the private sector however, it is mandatory where public sector (Homes and Communities Agency) funding is involved. The code aims to deliver a standard guideline for house builders in the UK and addresses key areas of sustainability such as water use and C02 emissions in house building and use. A rating system has been developed within in the code, which measures the ability of the building’s efficiency in terms of energy use. The code’s rating system ranges between levels 1 and 6. Level 6 being the highest level of efficiency and is the level that is most appropriate and applicable to the current study, which is the attain ment of ‘zero carbon status’ (Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide, 2007) The Government has indicated that the code will become the single national standard for the design and construction of sustainable homes and is set to become a vehicle for the development of sustainable home building practice in the UK (Code for Sustainable Homes, 1997) The subject of interest is whether the government and the building profession can implement and administer an effective strategy that will allow all new homes to achieve the highly challenging standards of incorporating level 6 rating to dwellings across the board to allow zero carbon status of newly built homes by 2016. Why is there a lack of zero carbon dwellings in the United Kingdom? The problem that presents itself is that the conscious world has accepted that the global warming phenomenon is a serious threat to the planet. Up until recent times carbon emissions and the negative effects being imposed by them upon the environment were not clearly understood, or even thought about in many respects and therefore not a major issue in the housing industry. Recent studies have reported that homes contribute around 27% of total UK carbon emissions. For this reason the housing industry may not have grasped the technologies sufficiently to mass-produce zero carbon homes. Because demand may have been low for zero carbon dwellings it may indicate that there may be a premium cost to build zero carbon homes and therefore not in the best interests of financiers and developers, who may not receive healthy returns on assuming risk for building such assets. Lack of enforceability may be another issue why such dwellings have not been mass-produced. Maybe the supply of materials t o produce such assets may be lacking in availability; again this may be as a consequence of low demand, which may also contribute towards extra cost. It is not clear that any of these scenarios are either singularly or collectively responsible for the slow progress in developing zero carbon homes. Therefore the current study will examine the various drivers and barriers that influence the development of zero carbon developments such as cost, legislation, market demand, available technology and the supply chain. The identification of these factors will provide a basic analysis to determine whether the policy of achieving the zero carbon homes policy by 2016 across the board is actually feasible. Section 2 – Review of zero carbon homes legislation Few green policies have had quite such an impact on a sector as the zero carbon homes policy has had in housing says John Alker, Head of Advocacy at the UK Green Building Council. In December 2006 the government introduced a commitment plan which formulated a requirement that all new homes are to be zero carbon from the year 2016 onwards. The initial proposal was formally communicated via the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) technical guide, which is based on and replaces the Ecohomes national standard for sustainable design and construction for new housing in the UK in April 2007. The code stated that a building would emit zero net carbon emissions from heating, hot water, lighting, appliance use and cooking. All CO2 reductions had to be achieved by local off-site means connected to the building by a direct physical connection. However, more recently the government defined a zero carbon dwelling as one which generates 70% of the energy it uses for heating, ventilation and lighting f rom on-site renewable energy (The Energy Saving Trust). Meeting the criteria would enable the home to be rated as a code level 6 home; the highest star rating achievable in terms of the Code, thus certificating the home as a zero carbon dwelling. The acquisition of a code level 6 certificate will allow first hand purchasers of zero carbon homes up to the value of  £500,000 exemption from paying stamp duty land tax (SDLT). Homes above the  £500,000 threshold will enjoy a  £15,000 reduction towards the stamp duty bill (Section 58b, 2007 Finance Bill) It should be noted that the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) is currently UK legislation and its implementation is optional to use apart from developments funded by the government (BRE, EcoHomes, 2007). The government has indicated that home builders are encouraged to follow the guidelines of the Code now as adherence to the Code will become mandatory in the future for all new house building (Code for Sustainable Homes, 2006) The government has also provided an incentive for the installation of energy saving materials and micro-generation apparatus by reducing the VAT to 5%. This VAT decrease only applies to the UK however, â€Å"the European Commission is committed to bringing forward proposals for a change to the Principal VAT Directive to allow an EU-wide reduction in VAT for green products, particularly those aimed at improving energy efficiency in buildings† (HM Treasury, 2008) The UK government aims to reach their stated goal of 80% carbon dioxide reduction in the UK by 2050 through implementing progressive tightening of the building regulations. The tightening of the regulations is to be maintained in three phases in 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The graph on the previous page shows the target reductions for each phase. These target reductions equate to the energy performance standards in the governments vehicle for reducing CO2 in housing; the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) Levels 3, 4, and 6 respectively; highlighting the governments progressive strategy to achieving carbon zero homes by 2016. Source: (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The primary method of measurement of energy efficiency for the Building Regulations is the dwelling Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rate (DER), which is an estimate of CO2 per metre squared of floor area. Currently (2010) the improvement in the DER is said to be 25% compared to the 2006 level. An improvement of 44% is required in 2013 and ultimately a 100% improvement which is incidentally zero carbon for all new homes built in 2016. An analysis of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) The code seeks to make improvements in energy efficiency and water usage upon those required by the Building Regulations Part L 2006. The code will compliment the system of energy performance certificates that was introduced in 2007 by the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD). At present the Code is voluntary, however house builders are encouraged to utilise the Code as a guideline for house building practice, as the government states that the code will be mandatory in the future. Energy efficiency is measured at every level of the code by assessing nine individual design categories, with higher level of sustainability performance achieving a high code rating. The Code measures the following design categories: The code implements a procedure which mirrors the BRE’s EcoHomes system in its method of assessment, which relies on trained and accredited independent assessors to inspect the homes. Design stage assessments are conducted by the assessors who on completion of the assessment recommend a sustainable code rating for the home being assessed and will issues an interim certificate. On completion of the development a post completion assessment is carried out by the inspector, who will on completion of the final checks issue a final code certificate which states the level achieved and therefore be given a CSH code rating. A home meeting any level of the Code will have to meet minimum standards for certain items depending on what Level is desired. For Level 6 this means: The home will have to be completely zero carbon (i.e. zero net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home). This could be achieved by: †¢ Improving the thermal efficiency of the walls, windows, and roof as far as is practically possible (by using more insulation or better glass for example); †¢ Reducing air permeability to the minimum consistent with health requirements (a certain amount of air ventilation is needed in a home for health reasons); †¢ Installing a high efficiency condensing boiler, or being on a district heating system; †¢ Carefully designing the fabric of the home to reduce thermal bridging (thermal bridging allows heat to easily escape between the inner walls and the outer walls of a home); †¢ Using low and zero carbon technologies such as solar thermal panels, biomass boilers, wind turbines, and combined heat and power systems (CHP). It would mean for example that energy taken from the national grid would have to be replaced by low or zero carbon generated energy, so that over a year the net emissions were zero. The home will have to be designed to use no more than about 80 litres of water per person per day. This could be achieved by fitting such items as: †¢ 6/4 Dual Flush WC; †¢ Flow Reducing/Aerating taps throughout; †¢ 6-9 litres per minute shower (note that an average electric shower is about 6/7 litres per minute); †¢ a smaller, shaped bath – still long enough to lie down in, but less water required to fill it to a level consistent with personal comfort; †¢ 18ltr maximum volume dishwasher; †¢ 60ltr maximum volume washing machine. To achieve the standard would also mean that about 30% of the water requirement of the home was provided from non-potable sources such as rainwater harvesting systems or grey water recycling systems. Other minimum requirements are required for: †¢ Surface water management – this may mean the provision of soakaways and areas of porous paving; †¢ Materials – this means a minimum number of materials meeting at least a ‘D’ grade in the Building Research Establishment’s Green Guide (the scale goes from A+ to E); †¢ Waste management – this means having a site waste management plan in place during the home’s construction, and adequate space for waste storage during its use. But to get to Level 6 you need a further 64.9 points. So the builder/developer must do many other things to obtain the other points. In fact they will need to do 90% of everything in the Code to achieve Level 6, including: †¢ Energy efficient appliances, and lighting; †¢ Supplying accessible water butts; †¢ Reducing surface water run-off as much as possible; †¢ Using highly environmentally friendly materials; †¢ Minimising construction waste; †¢ Maximum, accessible provision for recycling; †¢ Improved daylighting, sound insulation and security; †¢ Building to the Lifetime Homes standard; †¢ Assessing and minimising the ecological impact of the construction of the home Source of information: Code for Sustainable Homes – A step change in home building practice guide (2006) Section 3 Cost implications of constructing zero carbon homes During the last ten years house prices have continually increased due to the rising population and a slow response to the demand in terms of house building says Kate Barker in her 2004 survey on housing supply (Barker, K. 2004) See figures 1 and 4 below. It was the Barker report commissioned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown which gave recognition to the home building industry to investigate into improving the level of housing supply in the UK. The report concluded that the UK had a serious shortage of homes and was in much need of around 120,000 homes per year built by private house builders. The figures are in addition to the 150,000 homes which are currently being constructed per year by the house builders. The Barker report engaged the government to set an objective to increase the supply of houses being built in England of at least 200,000 per year by the year 2020. The housing market in the UK is considered by the UK government as an important arena in contributing towards regulating the nation’s economy. Putting this into perspective it is ironic that the Labour government since coming into power has changed housing ministers nine times in the last thirteen years. During the first year in office by the Labour government, it has seen a housing crisis which has seen a 190% increase in house prices with a house price to earnings ratio increase from 3.1 to 5.8. What this means is that whilst house prices have climbed dramatically, average salaries have not increased in proportion to the rising cost of house purchasing. The solution to controlling current house prices is to build more homes, however in 2009 only 118,000 new homes were constructed, which is less than half the annual amount required if the government’s target of an additional 3 million homes are to be constructed by the year 2020 (Alexander, 2010). How does this piece o f information relate to the cost of constructing zero carbon homes? Quite simply; the government has introduced a policy which aims to build an additional 3 million homes by the year 2020. The government is also pressing with the policy which aims to see all new homes constructed by the year 2016 to be zero carbon. The problem that presents itself is that the cost of building zero carbon homes includes a premium cost for building and subsequently purchasing such a property. If in the year 2009 only 118,000 homes were built, when quite clearly the government’s target is at least 200,000 per year to be in a position to meet the 3 million new homes target by 2020 and the cost of housing is already quite high, then how does Gordon Brown intend on maintaining the road map for two extraordinary targets which clash quite apparently. Last years figures prove that house building was at an all time low since 1946. These figures indicate that Gordon Brown’s government may have ov erlooked the situation and set a target which is perhaps extremely challenging if taking account of the current economic position of the UK economy. The Cyril Sweett Consultation In 2006 Cyril Sweett construction and property consultants were approached by the English Partnerships and Housing Corporation to report on the implications of the move from the Ecohomes standard of ‘Very good’ rating to the level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes. The research carried out by Cyril Sweett consultants reviewed six different types of houses which included four types which were constructed using traditional methods of construction and two with modern construction techniques. Cyril Sweett say that the findings of the research are not necessarily standard for all construction and consideration should given to project specific variables such as the area of construction, type of development, the supply chain etc; each having a variable effect on the cost of building in the stated methods of construction. Whilst the figures do not represent code level 6 developments, they do however give an indication of what the expected cost of building level 6 zero carbon homes ma y be if factored. The study made consideration to a whole host of construction methods and technological solutions to improve the performance of the home. The sole purpose of the research was to assess which methods of construction were the most economically viable to achieve the various code levels of the CfSH. However four scenarios were given in the report for expediency which are as follows: Scenario 1 Initial energy efficiency measures followed by the use of solar thermal technology, then photovoltaic and biomass systems. Scenario 2 Initial energy efficiency measures initially followed by the use of small scale wind turbines and then biomass systems. Scenario 3 Development with shared energy services, such as combined heat and power (CHP). For this scenario costs per unit are averaged for different infrastructure options for a theoretical 200 unit development. Scenario 4 Achievement of Code level 3 without recourse to renewable energies through the use of a whole house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and by assuming the use of proprietary construction details. The findings of the study found that projects which allowed for wind energy or site wide CHP technologies had scope for achieving the lowest costs. Again, it is stressed that projects are site specific therefore areas with low wind speeds may not be able to achieve satisfactory wind speeds to justify using wind energy technologies. The following tabulated data highlights the additional cost of achieving the code level 3 over the Ecohomes Very Good standard. The baseline cost for the abovementioned homes is  £92,107 for a 116m ² detached home and  £75,230 for a 101m ² end of terrace home, as specified or compliant with the 2006 building Regulations. It is an interesting observation that the implementation of Scenario 4 to achieve a code level 3 rating costs  £5,090 for a detached house and  £4,748 for a terraced house; an increase in cost of 5.4% and 6.2% respectively. What’s interesting about these figures is that Scenario 4 does not implement any renewable energy solutions such as photovoltaic cell technology but does make use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems. Scenario 4 does in many respects mirror the PassivHaus dwelling or Scandinavian homes method of building. Scenario 4 combined with advanced micro generation technologies could achieve level 6 zero carbon status but to enable this industry would need to invest further in research and development of enhancing the micro generation technologies, however the cost will be greatly increased. As with anything that is new there is a premium cost to be paid. But as more efforts are made and competition increases due to demand the cost of such technol ogies should decrease in time. The costing data provided in the Cyril Sweett report (2007) went further to report on the cost of achieving a level 5 rating of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), which is incidentally the highest level of code attainment data provided in the report. The following cost comparison data only makes reference to detached dwellings as the costing data for terraced houses are not too dissimilar to the detached houses. Scenario 1 The table shown above shows the cost of achieving a code level 5 rating of the CfSH using scenario 1, which to reiterate includes the use of solar thermal technology with photovoltaic and biomass systems. The cost attached to upgrading to level 5 costs an additional  £20,270, as shown in the table. Therefore an 18% increase above the baseline cost of building a detached home with a 116m ² area to the 2006 building regulatory standard, which totals  £111,476. Scenario 2 Utilising Scenario 2, a 116m ² Home built with small scale wind turbine and biomass technology will achieve a CfSH level 5 rating at a cost of  £14,206 above the baseline cost. A 14% increase totalling  £106,146 Scenario 3 Utilising Scenario 3, a 116m ² Home built using site wide CHP technology will achieve a CfSH level 4 rating at a cost of  £2,622 above the baseline cost. A 3% increase totalling  £93,828 Scenario 4 Utilising Scenario 4, a 116m ² Home built with improved air tightening and mechanical ventilation will achieve a CHS level 3 rating at a cost of  £4,481 above the baseline cost. A 5% increase totalling  £95,687 The cumulative graph shown above shows the cost of achieving each level of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) up to level 5, in comparison to each scenario detailed on the previous pages. The interesting thing about the comparative cost data provided by Cyril Sweett consultants is that to achieve level 5 of the code using scenario one costs  £36,070, which is an increase above the baseline cost of 28.6%. Obtaining a code level 5 rating using scenario two is achieved by allowing for an increase in cost above the baseline of  £20,746 which is a 22.7% increase. These figures provide an indication of what the likelihood cost for building code level 6 zero carbon homes are going be. Therefore it is estimated that for a similar type of dwelling the cost will be in excess of 30% above the 2006 Building Regulations baseline cost. A 30% increase in cost is quite substantial considering a home built to the prescribed building standards would cost approximately  £92,107, thus around a  £40,000 increase to implement code level 6 to the dwelling is a substantial amount and therefore cost is going to be a major factor in determining the success or failure of achieving the z ero carbon homes by 2016 target. Clearly the figures shown in this report show that the cost of producing zero carbon homes across the board is going to be a major obstacle if drastic changes and new solutions to reduce the cost of zero carbon technologies do not surface within the next few years leading up to the year 2016. The situation appears to be quite discomforting as affordability is going to negate the possibility of achieving not just the 2016 target but may also interfere with the 2020 target of building an additional three million new homes in the United Kingdom as less demand due to affordability will result in less homes being built and therefore cause a stalemate situation if the government alongside industry does not take steps to resolve the situation fast. Reductions in cost for bulk purchasing As stated earlier in the report cost reductions can be made through advances in technology and through competition as demand for zero carbon homes increases. Whilst the cost of achieving zero carbon is quite high at the moment, cost will gradually subside. The Cyril Sweett consultancy further reported that the purchase of materials and technology in bulk order will reduce the cost of producing zero carbon homes. Cyril Sweett representatives approached a number of suppliers of water and sustainable technologies. It was found that for large scale procurement i.e. 5000 units plus reductions in cost were achieved for the following technologies. (Cyril Sweett, 2007) Section 4 Methodology This chapter focuses on the methodology used in the production of the current research paper and will highlight the various stages of the research method. The purpose of the methodology is to provide the reader with an insight into what is expected in the report and how the research is to be conducted. The current study focuses on the UK government’s policy of â€Å"all homes to be Zero Carbon† by the year 2016 and investigates into the feasibility of the policy and further considers the impediments preventing the policy to materialise. The study also aims to identify the key drivers and barriers of achieving zero carbon homes by 2016 across the board. The study will explore key areas in the