The UK Green
Building Council (UKGBC) has unveiled a framework for the UK construction and
property industry to transition new and existing buildings to become net zero
carbon by 2050, in line with the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The report follows
six months of intense industry engagement, involving over 180 experts and
stakeholders from across the built environment value chain, and is supported by
13 trade associations and industry bodies including BPF, RICS and RIBA.
It provides an
overarching framework of consistent principles and metrics that can be
integrated into tools, policies and practices, and aims to build consensus in
the industry on the approach to decarbonising buildings.
The new framework
offers guidance for developers, owners and occupiers targeting net zero carbon
buildings, setting out key principles to follow and outlining how such a claim
should be measured and evidenced.
Two approaches to net zero carbon are proposed
by the framework which can be accurately measured today:
- Net zero carbon –
construction: the embodied emissions associated with products and construction
should be measured, reduced and offset to achieve net zero carbon.
- Net zero carbon –
operational energy: The energy used by the building in operation should be
reduced and where possible any demand met through renewable energy. Any
remaining emissions from operational energy use should be offset to achieve net
zero carbon.
With the report
presented as a starting point, the next ten years will see the scope and
ambition of the framework increased to encourage greater action. In the
short-term, additional requirements will be introduced to challenge the
industry, including minimum energy efficiency targets and limits on the use of
offsets. In the longer term, the two approaches for construction and
operational energy will be integrated into a broader approach for net zero
whole life carbon, covering all of the emissions associated with the
construction, operation, maintenance and demolition of a building.
The work has been
made possible thanks to the generous support of lead partner Redevco
Foundation, and partners BAM, Berkeley Group, Grosvenor, JLL and Hoare Lea.
Richard Twinn,
Senior Policy Advisor at UKGBC said: “The urgency of tackling climate change
means that businesses must work together to drive down emissions as fast as
possible. But this requires a shared vision for what needs to be achieved and
the action that needs to be taken.
"This framework
is intended as a catalyst for the construction and property industry to build
consensus on the transition to net zero carbon buildings and start to work
towards consistent and ambitious outcomes. It is the first step on a journey
towards ensuring all of our buildings are fit for the future.”
