New homes with energy efficient kitchen waste systems and state-of-the-art insulation are grabbing the headlines, but a charity has claimed that abandoned existing homes can provide a more sustainable solution to Britains current housing shortage.The Empty Homes Agency highlighted the fact that targets for new homes could be met much more easily by bringing the thousands of disused homes in the UK back into use avoiding both the material and environmental costs of new builds.According to the charitys own research, around 50 tonnes of carbon would be emitted in powering the building processes for a new house, making it more advisable to revamp the kitchens, lofts and walls of existing empty homes.David Ireland, chief executive of the Empty Homes Agency, said Theres a target for the number of new homes that have to be built, but theres not a target for the number of empty homes that need to be bought back into use.Citing the carbon footprint incurred by building projects, he added You hear about eco-towns, zero-carbon homes theyre great terms, but actually they overlook a pretty substantial carbon emission which just doesnt get mentioned at all.IKEA-designed flat-pack homes have emerged as the latest new-build solution to the housing shortage, providing compact homes with fitted kitchens and maximised space efficiency at highly affordable prices.