The Code For Sustainable Homes was launched on the 13th December 2006 and became operational in England in April 2007. It was launched as part of a package of measures towards zero carbon development. The Government-owned scheme is a successor to the Building Research Establishment's EcoHomes rating scheme first used in 2000.

The code awards new homes a star rating from 1 to 6, based on their performance against 9 sustainability criteria (listed below) which are combined to assess the overall environmental impact. One star is entry level above building regulations, and six stars is the highest, reflecting exemplary developments in terms of sustainability.

• Energy and CO2 Emissions – Operational energy and resulting emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (both of which have minimum standards that must be met at each level of the code)
• Water H20 & Surface Water Run-off – The change in surface water run-off patterns as a result of the development – The consumption of potable water from the public supply systems or other ground water resources (each of which have minimum standards to be met at entry level)
• Materials – The environmental impact of construction materials for key construction elements (no mandatory minimum standards).
• Waste – Waste generated as a result of the construction process and facilities encouraging recycling of domestic waste in the home (no mandatory minimum standards).
• Surface water run-off
• Pollution – Pollution resulting from the operation of the dwelling (no mandatory minimum standards).
• Health and Well-Being – The effects that the dwelling’s design and indoor environment has on its occupants (no mandatory minimum standards).
• Management – Steps that have been taken to allow good management of the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of the home (no mandatory minimum standards).
• Ecology – The impact of the dwelling on the local ecosystem, bio-diversity and land use (no mandatory minimum standards).