Free-to-access technical standards aims to tackle spurious green claims made in the built environment sector
A pilot version of the UK's first cross-industry standard for net zero carbon aligned buildings has been launched today by a raft of leading climate and building sector organisations, including RIBA, the BRE, the UK Green Building Council, and the Carbon Trust.
Through the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the organisations are aiming to provide a commonly agreed methodology that will allow players in the construction industry to prove whether built assets align with the UK's carbon and energy budgets.
The standard includes requirements around building energy performance and construction quality, and covers topics such as the avoidance of fossil fuel use on site, operational energy use, renewables and refrigerants, as well as carbon emissions associated with materials and construction processes.
The pilot version published today contains technical details on how a building can meet the standard, including what limits and targets must be meet, the technical evidence required to back up claims, and what reporting processes should be in place.
The various organisations behind the Standard - which include the Better Buildings Partnership, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, the London Energy Transformation Initiative and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - have encouraged the built environment industry to start using the pilot version, as they gear up to run real-world tests of the Standard. They said they would publish the details of "a subsequent verification process" separately.
"I encourage everyone within the built environment and real estate sector, from investors, funds and lenders, through developers to building designers, managers and contractors, to start to use the pilot version of the Standard," said David Partridge, chair of the Standard's governance board. "We will shortly be launching a pilot testing programme to glean feedback on applying the process on real projects."
More than 350 experts from across industry have supported the development of the standard through its steering group, alongside 700 individuals who took part in roundtables and consultations, according to the announcement.
Carbon performance targets included in the Standard align with science-based trajectories needed to achieve net zero by 2050 and a 78 per cent reduction in emissions in the UK by 2035, according to the update.
Katie Clemence-Jackson, chair of the Standard's technical steering group, said the standard covered all major building sectors, including both new and existing buildings.
"The Standard has been created not just using industry data on what is achievable, but also cross-referencing this with ‘top down' modelling of what is needed to decarbonise our industry in line with 1.5C aligned carbon and energy budgets," she said. "With access to the Standard, the built environment industry is equipped to target, design and operate buildings to be net zero carbon aligned, driving the positive change that we need to meet our climate goals."
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