A rating against the Code for Sustainable Homes, which measures nine categories of sustainable design including energy, water and waste, will be required for all new homes.

Homes which exceed the sustainable standards in existing Building Regulations will be awarded up to six stars. Those that have not been assessed against the Code will score a nil rating.

Speaking at the Eco Build 2008 conference today, Housing Minister Caroline Flint said:

"By requiring a rating for all new homes against the Code for Sustainable Homes in the run up to 2016, we are making the standards that different homes reach more transparent and are creating an important incentive for house builders to provide greener, more sustainable homes.

"Providing these ratings will also give buyers valuable information about their home, allowing them to make an informed choice and helping people to reduce their own household carbon emissions."

Paul King of the UK Green Building Council said:

"The Code for Sustainable Homes will fundamentally change the way we build and buy new homes in this country. Buyers of new homes, for the first time, will see how green their home is - not just on its carbon emissions, but on other vital issues such as water consumption and impact on biodiversity. This will help stimulate the market for green building as consumers demand more sustainable homes that have lower energy bills, are built producing less needless waste and that are great places to live.

"For industry, the Code plays a crucial role setting the trajectory towards the target of all new homes emitting zero carbon from 2016. This goal has brought about a fundamental change in mindset, galvanising the construction sector and is already producing really innovative design. We still have challenges to overcome to bring sustainable homes genuinely into the mainstream, not least in the existing stock, but this represents a vitally important step and one for which Government should be congratulated."