Green Building Council sets out to define net zero carbon building

The UK Green Building Council has published a consultation paper inviting feedback on a proposed definition for net zero carbon buildings. The consultation sets out the initial proposals from the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Task Group which is developing a framework definition in line with the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement.

The Task Group is made up of representatives from 37 businesses across the built environment value chain and is supported by 13 industry trade associations, professional institutions and non-profit organisations. Its aim is to build consensus within the construction and property industry about the outcomes needed to achieve net zero carbon buildings, providing a consistent approach for building design and management, and informing the future development of voluntary initiatives and local and national policy.

Feedback is being sought from businesses and stakeholders throughout the construction and property industry. The consultation paper is available on the UKGBC website and responses can be submitted online. Stakeholder workshops are also being hosted in Manchester on Tuesday 12 February and London on Tuesday 19 February to gather further feedback. The deadline for responses to the consultation is Friday 1 March 2019. For further details please contact Richard Twinn or Karl Desai.

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 kindly supported by Lead Partners the Redevco Foundation and Programme Partners BAM Construct UK, Berkeley Group, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, Hoare Lea and JLL.

UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme forms part of a global campaign led by the World Green Building Council which is calling for all buildings to be net zero carbon by 2050, and all new buildings to achieve this by 2030. Globally, leading businesses and regional authorities are already committing to spearheading this transition, UK signatories to the WorldGBC commitment include: Berkeley Group, Bruntwood, Cundall, Elementa (part of Integral Group), Mayor of London, the Scottish Government and Shaw Contract.

The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Task Group is being supported by the following trade associations, professional institutions and non-profit organisations:

Better Buildings Partnership (BBP)
British Property Federation (BPF)
Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA)
Chartered Institute for Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
Good Homes Alliance
London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI)
Passivhaus Trust
Renewable Energy Association (REA)
Revo
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
Sustainable Energy Association (SEA)
Solar Trade Association (STA)

The task group includes representatives from the following organisations:

Acclaro Advisory
AECOM
Allies and Morrison
Arup
Atelier Ten
BAM Construct UK
Berkeley Group
Bioregional
BRE
BuroHappold Engineering
Carbon Credentials Energy Services
Cundall
Currie & Brown
Derwent London
EcoEnergy Insights, UTC
Elementa
Greengage Environmental
Grosvenor Britain & Ireland
Haringey Council
Hawkins Brown Architects
Hoare Lea
Hodkinson Consultancy
HTA Design LLP
JLL Ltd
Kingspan Insulation Ltd
Landsec
Lendlease
Max Fordham LLP
Redevco
Skanska
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Targeting Zero LLP
The Carbon Trust
Turley
Twinn Sustainability Innovation
Verco
Willmott Dixon