Drafts make U.K. less-than green

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LONDON, June 12 (UPI) -- The British government said it was working to insulate buildings that account for more than 40 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

London rolled out legislation that would give the industry the go ahead to move forward with the so-called Green Deal, an effort to better insulate buildings in England. The British Department of Energy and Climate Change said more than half of the buildings in the country lack adequate insulation.

"Overall our leaky buildings account for 43 percent of the U.K.'s total greenhouse gas emissions," the DECC stated.

The Green Deal will help consumers offset the costs of insulating buildings.

"I am determined to make sure that, in addition to creating huge opportunities for Green Deal providers and businesses along with thousands of new jobs, this new market in energy efficiency will deliver the very best deal for consumers," Energy Secretary and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said in a statement.

The government in November announced it would allocate more than $300 million to encourage consumers to sign on to the deal.

The Guardian newspaper reports that Britons may be reluctant to make the accommodations needed to overhaul their insulation.