Whole Life Carbon Roadmap from the UK Green Building Council highlights the growing need to quickly close the policy gap on net zero homes and embodied carbon Only with urgent measures and intervention can the UK deliver on its interim target to cut 78% of emissions by 2035, an essential
The Institute of Economic Development (IED) has become an official supporter of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Defining Social Value Task Group – https://www.ukgbc.org/ukgbc-work/social-value-task-group/ – which is aiming to develop, via consultation, an industry-led definition for social value. In June, the IED published its own research, From the Ground
GLP, investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, today announces that it has delivered the first net zero carbon development to be officially verified as Net Zero carbon for construction in line with the UKGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition. The development, known as Magnitude 313, was
Tarkett has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the sustainability of the built environment by becoming a member of The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC). The mission of the UKGBC is to improve the sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated.
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Whole Life Carbon Roadmap from the UK Green Building Council highlights the growing need to quickly close the policy gap on net zero homes and embodied carbon Only with urgent measures and intervention can the UK deliver on its interim target to cut 78% of emissions by 2035, an essential milestone in the nation’s transition to Net Zero by 2050 With homes responsible for 16% of total UK carbon emissions, Government must immediately bring forward a national retrofit programme to unlock significant carbon savings, as well as deliver high-quality and cheaper to heat homes for people The Roadmap is the first quantification of the carbon reductions required each year from buildings and infrastructure if the UK is to be net zero by 2050 A transformative shift in industry practices is required and so action plans are provided for 14 key stakeholder groups As global leaders convene at COP26 to discuss the role of the built environment in addressing climate change, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched a Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap for the UK Built Environment (The Roadmap) detailing the necessary actions government and industry must take to achieve net zero across the sector. The built environment is directly responsible for 25% of the total UK carbon footprint, and therefore has a critical role to play in the national transition to Net Zero. Co-created by industry with over 100 organisations contributing, the Roadmap provides a shared vision and set of actions for achieving a net zero UK built environment by 2050, in relation to construction, operation and demolition of buildings and infrastructure. The Roadmap quantifies, for the first time, the specific emission reductions across sub-sectors of the built environment that will need to take place year-on-year to meet the 2050 deadline. The analysis includes not only domestic emissions, but emissions related to the consumption of imported construction products and materials. The Roadmap establishes a net zero emissions budget and trajectory to 2050, consistent with wider UK carbon targets and budgets as set-out by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), enabling government and the UK built environment to benchmark progress over the coming years and decades. Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC said: “After all the talk, it’s time for action. The UK Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy is a step in the right direction but fails to address several key priorities that this analysis clearly demonstrates are non-negotiable to achieving a net-zero carbon built environment by 2050. The Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap pulls together disparate strands of recent policy and action into one coherent pathway, with clear recommendations for National Government and Local Authorities, as well as the private sector and the wider industry. We urge policy-makers and industry to embed these recommendations into policies and strategies to make good on the promises and commitments of COP26.” The Roadmap sets out policy recommendations for central and local governments to help drive and enable the transition needed to decarbonise the sector. These go beyond the recently published UK Government Heat & Buildings strategy and cover existing homes, existing non-domestic buildings and new buildings as well as for the infrastructure which connects our buildings and industry. The recommendations include: 1) Nation-wide retrofitting of existing homes. Establish an immediate national programme of “fabric first” home retrofit to make homes efficient, warm, and transition away from fossil fuel heating. Bring forward the cut-off date for the sale of gas and oil boilers to 2030. Reform EPCs and introduce minimum EPC ratings for homes at point of sale by 2028. Remove VAT on energy efficient retrofit building works and introduce variable stamp duty linked to energy performance. Introduce direct government retrofit grants for low-income households. 2) Energy performance disclosure for non-domestic buildings. Introduce mandatory in-use energy disclosure for non-domestic buildings. Accelerate the roll-out of energy performance rating schemes across non-domestic sectors, followed by minimum standards and fiscal incentives. 3) Adoption of a design for performance approach to new buildings. Reform building regulations to introduce Energy Usage Intensity (kWh/m2/yr) targets for new buildings from 2025.Alongside low carbon heating for all new buildings from 2025, introduce space heating demand limits (kWh/m2/yr), measures to limit peak demand, and minimum standards for currently unregulated key appliances. 4) Whole life carbon measurements and agreed limits. Introduce the regulation of embodied carbon for new buildings and major refurbishments Support and invest in industrial decarbonisation of key construction material supply chains Use planning reforms to prioritise reuse of existing buildings and assets 5) National infrastructure investment based on the net emissions impact. Establish a National Infrastructure Integrator with full oversight of carbon impacts Nigel Topping, COP26 High Level Climate Action Champion, commented: “As we start a critical decade for climate action, the United Kingdom can and should take a leadership role. This report epitomises leadership and establishes that the UK built environment has a comprehensive and rigorous plan for abating its emissions across the construction, operation, and demolition of buildings and infrastructure. I invite you all to use this Roadmap for delivering a net zero future.” The Roadmap was co-created by the industry through a project Steering Group and four Task Groups with over 100 organisations contributing. Many of the recommendations align with existing industry initiatives such as Construct Zero from the Construction Leadership Council, and the Construction Industry Council’s Climate Action Plan as well as those contained in the recently published Scottish Government Heat & Buildings strategy. In some cases, the recommendations build on existing Government policy initiatives to facilitate adoption of further proposals and timelines. UKGBC is one of several European GBCs developing national whole life carbon roadmaps under the #BuildingLife project and The Roadmap was made possible thanks to the support of Laudes Foundation and Ikea Foundation. The report is launched today at 11.30 in the UK Government Pavilion in the Blue Zone at COP26. Here is the video to view the launch:
The Institute of Economic Development (IED) has become an official supporter of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Defining Social Value Task Group – https://www.ukgbc.org/ukgbc-work/social-value-task-group/ – which is aiming to develop, via consultation, an industry-led definition for social value. In June, the IED published its own research, From the Ground Up – Improving the Delivery of Social Value in Construction, which found that there is a “high risk of social value becoming too diffuse and lacking focus” and called for an immediate step change in procurement, delivery and monitoring impact. It made five recommendations, one of which was to agree a definition of social value, and what activities are within scope, for the construction sector. IED Chair Bev Hurley CBE said: “There is clear alignment between our findings and recommendations, and the work of the UKGBC on social value – https://www.ukgbc.org/ukgbc-work/social-value-programme/ – and it makes absolute sense for us to become an industry supporter of the task group. We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate going forwards, working in parallel but also feeding into each other’s activity. The more voices we have cohered around the same table, the more chance we have of delivering a step-change on social value.” As an extension of this relationship, the UKGBC’s Sustainability Advisor Sophia Cox will facilitate an upcoming CPD workshop on measuring social value. The IED has already held or has scheduled a series of roundtables, linked to the recommendations in From the Ground Up – Improving the Delivery of Social Value in Construction, on Improving Community Engagement and Scoping a Centre of Excellence. Meanwhile, Bev Hurley CBE was a guest speaker at a Constructing Excellence South West webinar and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Procurement and last month. “Together with the huge media interest in our social value report, the series of roundtables, CPD workshops and external speaking opportunities is giving tremendous momentum to our work,” Bev explained. The full IED report, From the Ground Up – Improving the Delivery of Social Value in Construction, can be downloaded at www.ied.co.uk/insights, where the Executive Summary and case studies are also available.
GLP, investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, today announces that it has delivered the first net zero carbon development to be officially verified as Net Zero carbon for construction in line with the UKGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition. The development, known as Magnitude 313, was developed at GLP’s flagship logistics park Magna Park Milton Keynes. It is GLP’s 6th building to go through the Planet Mark accreditation scheme and part of its strategy to reduce the carbon footprint further. Whilst GLP’s building specifications are continually reviewed, the project team conducted a deeper assessment on Magnitude in order to maximise the efficiency and sustainability credentials of the materials, resulting in significantly lower levels of embodied carbon. Key manufacturers were asked to provide a complete breakdown of their products along with their origin, embodied carbon and whether the product can be reused or recycled. Chetwoods Thrive and Circular Ecology, along with other leaders in the field were engaged to help the design team and wider supply chain collaborate and reduce as much embodied carbon as possible. Magnitude has been used as a vehicle for innovation, using embodied carbon reduction as a key driver for finding techno-economically feasible solutions. Where possible the outcomes have been incorporated in Magnitude. GLP can attest to the fact that they have reduced the embodied carbon as much as possible at this time. Further solutions will be carried forward to improve future buildings, providing a longer-term legacy. Steven Alexander, UK Construction Director at GLP Europe, said: “Magnitude is a milestone development for GLP and the logistics industry. It paves the way for further net zero carbon development as we continue our strategy of reducing our carbon footprint, keeping sustainability at the forefront of both the design and construction processes. We are proud to have developed the world’s first building to be verified as net zero carbon for construction and look forward to continuing our sustainability journey.” Nick Cook, President, GLP Europe, said: “This is a landmark development for GLP and we hope that it will set a new standard for sustainability in the sector. The team is constantly striving to find innovative ways to improve the carbon footprint of our buildings and ensure that GLP is considered synonymous with sustainable development.” Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC, said: “The urgency of the climate crisis means it is vital that we address all carbon impacts from buildings including the upfront embodied carbon from products, materials and construction. In some cases these can account for up to half of a new building’s lifetime carbon impacts – before it has even been occupied. We are delighted to see GLP leading the way by becoming the first developer to achieve net zero carbon for construction using UKGBC’s Framework. We hope that this will act as an example to the rest of the industry and inspire others to go even further in reducing the impacts from construction.”
Tarkett has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the sustainability of the built environment by becoming a member of The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC). The mission of the UKGBC is to improve the sustainability of the built environment by transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated. This mirrors Tarkett’s belief that through collaboration, industry can make a positive impact on people and the planet. As part of its pledge of ‘Doing Good Together’, the global flooring manufacturer aims to create healthier spaces by making sustainable flooring that is good for both people and the environment. In particular Tarkett uses a circular economy approach to product design. It strives to select materials that can be recovered, recycled and transformed. The focus on Cradle to Cradle design principles allows products to be manufactured using healthy components and help preserve natural resources whilst mitigating the effects of climate change. Through its ReStart© takeback programme, Tarkett manages flooring waste effectively by transforming it into new, high-quality products. And thanks to breakthrough technology at its Waalwijk facility, Tarkett has increased its industrial capacity to separate the two principal components of carpet tiles – yarn and backing, so they can also be recycled for future use. Ross Dight, Technical and Sustainability Director at Tarkett, commented: “As a global flooring business we believe we go well beyond our peers, in the built environment supply chain, by making sustainable flooring that is good for both people and our environment. Following such principles also provides our customers with the opportunity to advance their own sustainability goals. Joining the UK Green Building Council allows us to collaborate with the wider industry, share best practice and be part of a movement that is creating a vision of a better built environment.”
