The climate emergency remains the most pressing issue facing the built
environment. It is directly responsible for 25% of total UK emissions, and as
evidenced by UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, continuing a
‘business-as-usual’ approach will simply not deliver net zero by 2050.
Instead, the current pace of climate action will only deliver a 60%
reduction in carbon dioxide levels compared with 1990 emissions levels; leading
to catastrophic and irreversible impacts, adversely affecting lives,
livelihoods, and the planet.
At the same time, the science is clear. We must
halve emissions by 2030 if we’re to stand a chance of maintaining a 1.5ºC
temperature increase, so it’s the near-term targets and actions that matter the
most. Quite simply, we have to go further, faster, now.
Therefore, UKGBC’s 2025 Strategy gives the charity,
its membership and the industry a clear path forward to ensure that it is on
track for crucial 2030 targets. In addition to this Strategy, UKGBC has also
released its Annual Operating plan for the coming financial year to drive the
near-term actions in support of the Strategy.
The UKGBC 2025 Strategy sets out a shared industry ambition and industry
targets which indicate what must be achieved by 2025.
Drawn from science-based data modelling conducted for our Whole Life Net
Zero Carbon Roadmap published in 2021. the Strategy also points to shared
targets that have yet to be developed for both climate resilience and
environmental net gain. This is ultimately where the built environment sector
needs to get to.
To drive progress towards these, UKGBC has set itself seven clear goals in
relation to both Government and Businesses that will drive the transformational
shift in the way we design, construct, operate and reuse built assets to
achieve the industry ambition and targets. The goals will in turn inform
and cascade into the key work priorities that UKGBC takes forward over the next
three years.
