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The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has hit back at claims that the private sector will miss the government鈥檚 2016 deadline for zero-carbon homes.

Stewart Baseley, the HBF鈥檚 chief executive, said the organisation was 鈥渇ully signed up鈥� to the commitment to ensure all new homes were zero carbon by 2016.

He was responding to comments by David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation (NHF), who has called for government intervention to force housebuilders to hit the target.

Speaking at the NHF annual conference in Birmingham last Friday, Orr said 92% of new housing association stock was meeting minimum sustainable standards, compared with only 2% of new homes built by private developers.

He said the private sector would be 鈥渟imply unable鈥� to meet the 2016 deadline without immediate action from ministers.

Orr said: 鈥淧rivate developers are not being compelled to meet minimum standards on greenhouse gas emissions at all. In fact, they are being allowed to put their profits ahead of the survival of future generations.

鈥淚t鈥檚 time ministers legally locked private developers into the same timetable as housing associations.鈥�

But Baseley insisted housebuilders were working hard with the government and other stakeholders, such as councils and the Housing Corporation, to tackle climate change.

He said: 鈥淭he HBF is fully signed up to the 2016 commitment and will drastically reduce carbon emissions from new homes in the interim.鈥�

Brendan Sarsfield, chief executive of Family Mosaic Housing Group, backed Orr鈥檚 comments. He said: 鈥淧eople will work to the standards they are set. If a developer is allowed to build to a lower standard, it will build to a lower standard. It鈥檚 not a criticism of the builders but a criticism of the regulations.鈥�

Chris Tinker, head of regeneration at Crest Nicholson, sought to play down the row, saying: 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important that we all work together.鈥�