The UK Green
Building Council (UKGBC) has launched a new task group which will develop an
industry-led definition for net zero carbon buildings.
The task group will
bring together over 30 experts from across the building value chain and is
being supported by 12 leading industry bodies.
Following the Paris
Climate Agreement and the recent IPCC special report, global attention has
turned to achieving net zero emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate
change.
In response, a
global campaign is being led by the World Green Building Council which is
calling for all new buildings to be net zero carbon in operation by 2030 and
all existing buildings to achieve this standard by 2050.
The new UK task
group will examine what net zero carbon will mean for new buildings, including
how they operate in-use. The aim is to build industry consensus on a definition
for net zero carbon buildings, which can then be used to inform project designs,
reporting initiatives, planning requirements and building regulations. An
industry consultation on the task group proposals will be opened in February,
with the final output published in spring 2019.
The task group is
being facilitated by UKGBC as part of its Advancing Net Zero
programme which is aiming to drive the transition to a net zero carbon
built environment.
The programme is
supported by Lead Partner the Redevco Foundation and Programme Partners BAM
Construct UK,
Berkeley Group, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland and Hoare Lea.
Richard Twinn,
Senior Policy Advisor at UKGBC, who will be facilitating the task group said:
“The construction and property industry is ready to make its contribution to
the Paris Climate Agreement and start delivering net zero carbon buildings. But
there is still a lack of clarity about what a net zero carbon building means in
practice.
This initiative is
aiming to move beyond discussions about specific tools and policies towards
buildings that work as intended and achieve genuine net zero carbon. We are
seeking to create an agreed industry-led definition for net zero carbon
buildings in the UK, to ensure we are all working towards the same outcomes.”
