To address the built environments impacts properly we need to look at impact via our supply chain and the extraction of materials. Similar to embodied carbon, embodied ecological impacts are caused by the resource extraction and manufacturing process, such as the production and transportation of raw materials and the disposal of unused materials. These impacts occur offsite, mainly via materials extraction and the supply chain.

Continuing UKGBC’s work on Embodied Ecological Impacts (EEI), this conference – free to members- will bring together experts to share knowledge and explore knowledge gaps. There are still many unknowns when it comes to decision making on built environment projects. These include:

• Lack of transparency in supply chains
• Lack of consensus on metrics and data needs
• Lack of best practice examples

Through keynote lectures, panel discussions and interactive activities, this event will address these challenges and explore ways of overcoming them.

We will discuss the role of data and metrics, but also the urgent need to act in the absence of this data. We will share existing best practice and have the opportunity to meet individuals working at the cutting edge of this topic and build new networks.

We’ll feature pioneers from varied backgrounds and perspectives – such as academia, developers, or contractors – and we’ll hear from sectors beyond the build environment to learn from their experience.

Who is this conference for?

This event is for everyone who is trying to assess embodied ecological impacts on their projects. Architects, engineers, consultants, as well as contractors and manufacturers will all benefit from the insights of this event.

Agenda

11:00 Welcome  

11:10 Opening keynote 

11:30 Panel: The engineers perspective 

12:15 Interactive activity 

12:45 Lunch 

13:45 Afternoon keynote: Data and metrics 

14:00 Panel: Data and metrics 

14:45 Coffee break and interactive activity 

15:15 Learning from other sectors 

15:45 Closing reflections 

16:00 Networking and drinks 

Speakers

We have a great line-up for speakers already confirmed, with more to come. They include:

• Smith Mordak, CEO, UKGBC
• Laura Batty, Senior Associate, Heyne Tillett Steel
• Kai Liebetanz, Head of Nature, UKGBC
• Will Arnold, Head of Climate Action, IStructE
• Sunand Prasad, Principal, Perkins&Will 
• Eva MacNamara, Director, Expedition Engineering 
• Alfred Muge, Programme Officer, UNEP-WCMC 
• Cristina Secades, Principal Consultant, Biodiversify 
• Jenny Merriman, Technical Director, WSP 
• Morgan Taylor, Director, Greengage 
• Brogan MacDonald, Head of Sustainability in Building Structures, Ramboll 
• Annabelle Richards, Senior Manager Nature, Lloyds Banking Group 

We look forward to seeing you at our first EEI conference!

UKGBC cancellation and refund policy 

Please see our website for more details on our cancellations and refunds: https://ukgbc.org/ukgbc-cancellation-and-refund-policy/  

Project partners

Resilience & Nature Programme Partners

With thanks to our programme partners who make our work on nature possible.

The post Embodied Ecological Impacts Conference appeared first on UKGBC.

Companies have a huge role to play in reducing societies impact on the natural world. The starting point for that is understanding organisational impact through assessment and reporting. Through this we can understand more clearly how our businesses impact biodiversity, and how businesses depend on nature; the so called double materiality of nature. Strategies to address these risks and impacts can then be produced.  

The role of business in this is crucial and is starting to get recognised. However, the way businesses impact nature and depend on it is currently lacking transparency. This has been recognised internationally, and nature disclosure is key recommendation in the Global Biodiversity Framework. Additionally, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires nature disclosure. Increasing alignment between different initiatives, including Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) are a sign of growing maturity of nature-related disclosures. Now is the time to get ahead and start the process of disclosing your organisations nature dependency and impact. 

About the masterclass 

In this second masterclass of two we will explain how to go about producing a nature-disclosure and responsive strategy, and how to use tools like TNFD for disclosure. We’ll highlight challenges and issues through direct case studies and experience of those who have been through the process already. 

This session is part two of a two part series on nature disclosure. Our first masterclass, on the why and what of nature-disclosure, is available to sign-up using the button below.  

Delegates can sign-up for one or both of these masterclasses  

Who’s it for?  

This masterclass is for business leaders and ESG professionals across the built environment and finance seeking to measure and manage their nature-related impacts via TNFD or another disclosure process. The masterclass is for those who will be involved in developing a strategy, setting metrics and overseeing or delivering the disclosure.  

No prior experience of nature-disclosure is required.  

Why Join the course?

1. Get up to speed on setting a nature-disclosure strategy and using frameworks such as TNFD ahead of year-end reporting.

2. Understand the steps needed to report on your businesses nature impact.

3. Get to grips with TNFD and the LEAP approach

4. Learn about the available metrics for measuring nature impacts

5. Meet other people across industry and share learnings

Course hosts  

Morgan Taylor, Director, Greengage. Morgan leads Greengages nature team, providing ecological and green infrastructure design input into projects enabling biodiversity net gains and complementing wider climate change adaptation measures. He provides clear and concise advice on how to manage ecology throughout planning and development. Morgan was included in the ENDS Report Power List 2023 of the most influential environmental professionals in the UK. 
 
Greengage is an independent sustainability consultancy with offices in London, Manchester, Sheffield, and Bristol. Established for over 17 years, we’re an award-winning team of consultants with expertise across the full spectrum of sustainability including energy and carbon management, ESG, sustainable finance, social sustainability, biodiversity and green infrastructure/urban greening. 

CPD hours: 2.5 

Tickets 

Keystone members are entitled to free places for this masterclass. Please contact learning@UKGBC.org for more information.  

If you’re unsure if your organisation is a member, please check our Membership Directory.   

Delivering this course for your team 

UKGBC can offer this course/programme as a closed course for your team or people from across only your organisation. Please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements learning@UKGBC.org  

UKGBC cancellation and refund policy 

Please see our website for more details on our cancellations and refunds: https://ukgbc.org/ukgbc-cancellation-and-refund-policy/  

The post Nature-disclosure in the built environment module 2: How to measure and report (Online) appeared first on UKGBC.

Companies have a huge role to play in reducing societies impact on the natural world. The starting point for that is understanding organisational impact through assessment and reporting. Through this we can understand more clearly how our businesses impact biodiversity, and how businesses depend on nature; the so called double materiality of nature. Strategies to address these risks and impacts can then be produced.  

The role of business in this is crucial and is starting to get recognised. However, the way businesses impact nature and depend on it is currently lacking transparency. This has been recognised internationally, and nature disclosure is key recommendation in the Global Biodiversity Framework. Additionally, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires nature disclosure. Increasing alignment between different initiatives, including Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) are a sign of growing maturity of nature-related disclosures. Now is the time to get ahead and start the process of disclosing your organisations nature dependency and impact. 

About the masterclass 

In this this first masterclass of two, we will explore the importance of nature to the built environment. We’ll discuss the crisis in nature, and our reliance on natural systems not only for materials, but also for human and economic prosperity. We’ll also look at the drivers for reporting on nature and what nature-disclosure is.  

This session is part one of a two-part series. In our second masterclass we’ll look at the practicalities of how to effectively disclose business impacts on nature through frameworks such as TNFD.  

Delegates can sign-up for one or both of these masterclasses  

Who’s it for?  

This masterclass is for business leaders and ESG professionals across the built environment and finance seeking to better understand their businesses impact on nature, and what’s involved in nature disclosure.   

No prior experience of nature-disclosure is required.  

Why join the course?

1. Get up to speed with the why and what of nature-disclosure ahead of year-end reporting

2. Understand the importance of nature to business and the built environment

3. Understand what nature-disclosure is and gain confidence in advocating for it within your organisation

4. Learn about the available metrics for measuring nature impacts

5. Meet other people across industry and share learnings

Course hosts  

Morgan Taylor, Director, Greengage. Morgan leads Greengages nature team, providing ecological and green infrastructure design input into projects enabling biodiversity net gains and complementing wider climate change adaptation measures. He provides clear and concise advice on how to manage ecology throughout planning and development. Morgan was included in the ENDS Report Power List 2023 of the most influential environmental professionals in the UK. 
 
Greengage is an independent sustainability consultancy with offices in London, Manchester, Sheffield, and Bristol. Established for over 17 years, we’re an award-winning team of consultants with expertise across the full spectrum of sustainability including energy and carbon management, ESG, sustainable finance, social sustainability, biodiversity and green infrastructure/urban greening. 

CPD hours: 2.5 

Tickets 

Keystone members are entitled to free places for this masterclass. Please contact learning@UKGBC.org for more information.  

If you’re unsure if your organisation is a member, please check our Membership Directory.   

Delivering this course for your team 

UKGBC can offer this course/programme as a closed course for your team or people from across only your organisation. Please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements learning@UKGBC.org  

UKGBC cancellation and refund policy 

Please see our website for more details on our cancellations and refunds: https://ukgbc.org/ukgbc-cancellation-and-refund-policy/  

The post Nature-disclosure in the built environment module 1: Why’s nature important and what’s nature-disclosure? (London) appeared first on UKGBC.

The need for impactful offsetting in the built environment 

Written by Gemma Drake, UKGBC: 

To be net zero, an individual building must do two things. Firstly, it must meet minimum energy use intensity and embodied carbon limits in order to follow a science-based decarbonisation pathway in line with 1.5˚C (to be defined by the forthcoming Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard). Secondly, after these targets have been achieved, carbon offsetting of residual emissions along with the procurement or generation of additional renewable energy is needed to reach the net zero state. 

While there has been much important journalism on the challenges of offsetting effectively, the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere remains a necessary part of a global transition to a sustainable society. The critical question of how to offset in a way that truly has an impact, remains at the forefront of the climate crisis. Realising projects that remove greenhouse gases and enable the transition is paramount. Effective offsetting has a real emissions impact through additionality, permanence, no double counting and robust quantification of emissions reductions and removals (see the CCPs for more detail), whilst also enabling a broader positive impact through its co-benefits. 

UKGBC’s Carbon Offsetting and Pricing Guidance provides the built environment industry with a step-by-step process for taking a holistic approach to ambitious offsetting. The guidance was updated in June 2024 to bring it in line with the revised Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting and the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles Assessment Framework and Procedure.  

There are various types of offsets available, and these can be categorised into avoidance, reduction or removal offsetting projects. Whilst ultimately, we need to move towards removals with durable storage, there can be a place for reduction offsetting projects, particularly when they come with numerous co-benefits, such as social housing retrofit credits.  

There has been an increasing discussion amongst UKGBC’s members in the UK built environment around local offsetting. According to the Climate Change Committee, in 2021, only 0.1% of the credits purchased by UK companies in the voluntary carbon market were sourced from UK offsetting schemes. A growing local offsetting market would deliver positive environmental and social co-benefits to the UK and enable companies to more easily conduct due diligence on the offsetting projects they are supporting.  

In a recent report from Arup and BusinessLDN, ‘Blueprint for a Business-led UK Collective Offsetting Fund’, they propose a London offsetting fund comprising three distinct portfolios. These portfolios are retrofit, nature, and engineered. By having three portfolios, organisations can procure a combination of credits that align to their climate ambitions and business goals.  

The nature portfolio encompasses credits from protected nature-based removals schemes, and this offers the co-benefits of biodiversity and ecosystem protection.  

Regenerative agriculture is an example of a nature-based scheme

 Written by Archana Veerabahu, Agreena: 

This summer, UKGBC ran a visit to Welford Park Estate in collaboration with Agreena to showcase a regenerative agriculture offsetting project to our members and meet Rob Waterson, the Farm Manager at Welford Park Estate, to understand how they are moving towards regenerative agricultural practices.  

Regenerative agriculture is a climate-smart approach to farming that restores natural processes to deliver resilient agricultural systems. Regenerative farming practices include cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced tillage, sustainable use of crop residues and use of organic fertilisers.

By transitioning to regenerative agriculture farmers can reduce their carbon emissions and sequester carbon in their soils. Agricultural soils have the potential to sequester 5 gigatons of CO2 annually until 2050. Regenerative agriculture also delivers many additional ecosystem benefits such as improved soil health, greater water retention and enhanced biodiversity.  

  

  

The need for a wide scale transition to regenerative agriculture in the UK has never been more urgent. In England and Wales intensive agriculture has caused arable soils to lose about 40 to 60% of their organic carbon and soil degradation was calculated in 2010 to cost £1.2 billion every year. 

The potential for storing carbon in our soils is significant though – UK soils currently store about 10 billion tonnes of carbon, roughly equal to 80 years of annual UK greenhouse gas emissions. 

The built environment sector has a vital role to play in supporting this by helping to channel climate capital toward the principal stewards of our land – UK farmers. The greater the speed and flow of climate capital, the faster and more effectively UK farmers can undertake the transition. 

  

How does Agreena facilitate regenerative farming? 

In the early years of transitioning to regenerative farming, farmers can face a short-term drop in yields and a need for additional investment. Given that many farmers are operating with razor thin margins, they are unable to make the move to regenerative agriculture in the absence of transitional financial support.  
 
Agreena is working with organisations to address this ‘finance gap’, bringing corporate finance into the farming sector. As Europe’s largest soil carbon programme, AgreenaCarbon supports more than 1,000 farmers as they adopt regenerative practices across 2,000,000+ hectares of arable farmland in 19 countries. 

The AgreenaCarbon programme generates high-quality, verified credits from UK farms, adhering to Verra VCS’s VM0042 methodology and traceable to the exact fields they were generated in. 

Agreena uses a combination of advanced remote-sensing technology, machine learning and physical soil sampling for robust measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) that underpins its carbon credits. Each high-quality soil carbon credit represents one metric tonne of CO₂e removed or reduced due to regenerative practices. These credits act as a much-needed financial incentive for farmers to adopt sustainable methods. In the long term, this scalable model supports the transition to regenerative agriculture, restoring soils, and enhancing biodiversity in the UK and Europe. 

What did UKGBC members learn during the visit?

Discussions focused on the generation of soil carbon credits, carbon financing, and ensuring credit integrity through Agreena’s advanced MRV – including how Agreena matches farmers’ data and satellite information with ground-truthing and soil sampling. Demonstrations provided a practical understanding of the importance of regenerative practices, such as crop residue management (utilising the waste materials left over after harvest such as leaves, stalks and stems). 

Rob Waterston, Farm Manager at Welford Park Estate said: 

It was really interesting to chat with these businesses and learn about the challenges they’re facing with their carbon footprints. Networking with them gave me a chance to explain how agriculture can sequester CO₂ and what we need to do to make it happen.

The visit reinforced how important it is to have these conversations to promote awareness about sustainable agricultural practices and how carbon farming is part of our future.” 

If you would like to learn more about carbon offsetting and pricing in the built environment, you can read UKGBC’s Carbon Offsetting and Pricing Guidance and attend our Carbon Offsetting and Pricing Masterclass on the 8^th of October.  

Carbon offsetting and Pricing Guidance

Guidance to empower industry to deliver an ambitious approach to carbon offsetting and associated carbon pricing that supports the shift towards net zero buildings.

Learn more

Carbon Offsetting and Pricing Masterclass

This workshop is designed for decision-makers and their teams who are embarking on a net zero strategy that includes offsetting and/or carbon pricing.

Learn more

The post Impactful offsetting: using regenerative farming to generate carbon credits  appeared first on UKGBC.

The suite of learning resources here aims to demystify key sustainability concepts and create a common language for non-technical experts to confidently get involved in sustainable building topics.

Using jargon-free, easy-to-understand language, UKGBC’s Bitesize Learning provides a jumping-off point for non-sustainability professionals to begin their sustainability learning journey.

Our learning resource have been split into topic areas to make them easier to navigate.

On this page

• Discover the new set of finance guides
• Net Zero Carbon
• Nature, Resource use and the Circular Economy
• Resilience
• Sustainability across the Value Chain
• Retrofit

What’s available?

Alongside infographics, definitions and fact sheets, we also have the following 1 and 2 page guides:

Explainer Guides (1-page) break down key climate and nature topics into digestible chunks outlining:

• How it is defined.
• Its importance in tackling the climate crisis.
• How it relates to the built environment.
• Relevant resources to consolidate knowledge.

Practical Guides (2-pages) detail sustainable building across the value chain outlining:

• Key principles.
• Practical approaches for stakeholders.
• Case studies to bring the approach to life.
• Further resources to continue learning.

New Climate Finance Guides

Net Zero Carbon

Net Zero & Whole Life Carbon

Carbon Pricing, Carbon Offsetting & Renewable Energy

Nature, Resource use and the Circular Economy

Explainer and Practical Guides

Factsheets & Infographics

Something missing? Tell us what else you would like bitesize learning on via this short feedback form.

Using these guides

If you’d like to use these guides within your organisation, please contact Learning@UKGBC.org

Want to learn in a different way?

Sustainability Essentials for the Built Environment Email Course

Build your sustainability knowledge through this informative email-delivered learning opportunity.

Learn more

So What Can I Do? UKGBC Video Guides to Sustainability

This video series will help you understand sustainability in the built environment – and identify what role you can play in its transformation.

Learn more

The post Bitesize Learning appeared first on UKGBC.

Acknowledging that many nature practitioners are facing similar challenges, UKGBC’s NBS Labs were designed for learning and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, specifically around maintenance and stewardship of nature-based solutions, as well as existing buildings and retrofit. We heard from a range of speakers about the challenges faced, lessons learnt, and solutions they had whilst implementing urban NBS.  

In order to share some of the challenges, recommendations, and considerations practitioners should take when implementing NBS into an urban environment, we’ve created two infographics that share these key learnings.  

The first explores the challenges and key considerations for retrofitting NBS and the second considers maintenance and stewardship of existing solutions.  

NBS Labs Project Partners

We’d like to thank the following partners for making the Nature-Based Solutions Labs possible.

Resilience & Nature Programme Partners

With thanks to our programme partners who make our work on nature possible.

Nature Based Solutions

Nature Based Solutions offer a wide range of benefits for both people and planet, and when implemented into our towns, cities & communities they are a key tool for tackling the combined climate and ecological crises.

View more

The post Nature-Based Solutions Infographics appeared first on UKGBC.

In our 2022 report, ‘The Value of Urban Nature-Based Solutions’ we examined the benefits of implementing NBS in our towns and communities – exploring the different ways the value of these solutions can be demonstrated.  

Building on this report, UKGBC’s Nature-Based Solutions Labs provided built environment stakeholders with the opportunity to work through some of challenges and solutions of implementing nature-based solutions in an urban context.  

Acknowledging that many practitioners are facing similar challenges, the NBS Labs were designed for learning and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, specifically around maintenance and stewardship, as well as existing buildings and retrofit. We heard from a range of speakers about the challenges faced, lessons learnt, and solutions they had whilst implementing urban NBS.  

In order to share some of the challenges, recommendations, and considerations practitioners should take when implementing NBS into an urban environment, we’ve created two infographics that share these key learnings.  

The first explores the challenges and key considerations for retrofitting NBS and the second considers maintenance and stewardship of existing solutions.  

NBS Labs Project Partners

We’d like to thank the following partners for making the Nature-Based Solutions Labs possible.

Resilience & Nature Programme Partners

With thanks to our programme partners who make our work on nature possible.

Nature Based Solutions

Nature Based Solutions offer a wide range of benefits for both people and planet, and when implemented into our towns, cities & communities they are a key tool for tackling the combined climate and ecological crises.

View more

The post Explore how to retrofit and maintain Nature-Based Solutions in our communities using our new infographics appeared first on UKGBC.

About this event 

The consultation on the Draft Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029 (SNAP 3) has closed. What did you think about it and how do you think this will enable the built environment industry in Scotland?

The UKGBC Resilience & Nature and Policy teams are hosting an online roundtable to hear about what has worked well from members in Scotland, while identifying the gaps and needs to achieve climate resilience in the built environment. The event also aims to create a local industry network that will lead the conversation towards real change.

This event will bring together key insights and provide the opportunity to hear from multiple built environment stakeholders based in Scotland, to share successful practices and identify the challenges for implementing climate adaptation and achieving climate resilience.

The roundtable will feature presentations, a Q&A session, and breakout group discussions aimed at identifying areas for improvement in SNAP and developing actionable policy recommendations. Join us for this important conversation to drive forward climate resilience initiatives in the built environment.

David Steen (UKGBC Senior Policy Advisor for Scotland) and Hannah Giddings (UKGBC Head of Resilience and Adaptation) will lead this insightful conversation.

Summary Agenda:

1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Presentations on Study cases
3. UKGBC members from the Built Environment Industry in Scotland and Q&A Session
4. Challenges around climate resilience for organizations in the BE in Scotland- Open discussion
5. Plenary discussion: From Challenges to Improvements needed for the Scottish National Adaptation Programme
6. Wrap up and next steps

The post How can policy help make a climate resilient built environment in Scotland appeared first on UKGBC.

This project will create a framework definition on the applicability of this terminology for the built environment specifically, with a set of criteria to be required. Similar to UKGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Framework Definition, this would ensure that projects and companies stick to a high standard when using this terminology. The project will clarify to what degree buildings, project, or companies can be described as nature-positive, and under which circumstances. 

This project aims to ensure that the concept of nature positivity translates into the built environment in a meaningful way. It does that by: 

• Providing rigour and accountability for nature positivity via a stringent and shared set of criteria for the industry  
• Creating a mutual understanding of the principles behind nature positivity and enable the industry to identify and challenge greenwashing  
• Developing a clear understanding of the challenges behind the goal of a nature-positive built environment and providing best practice examples 

Joining the Task Group

Bring your unique expertise and knowledge and your subsector perspective to define the framework while you collaborate with peers.

UKGBC will be convening an industry Task Group to lead the development of this publication, in line with the above aims. Key goals of the group are to ensure we build on existing industry knowledge, initiatives, and real-life project experiences, and that the guidance is relevant to industry.  

An overview of the expected programme of works is as shown below. The Task Group will commence in June and will work towards a draft guidance for industry consultation in March 2025. It will consequently review the consultation results and support the development of final guidance through to publication in Summer 2025.  

Download the Call for Applications

This project is also taking applications for Project Partners, learn more and apply here.

Nature

Nature is in crisis.  The built environment has a critical role to play in protecting and restoring nature and moving to a regenerative model of development.

View more

The post Framework for a Nature-Positive Built Environment Task Group appeared first on UKGBC.

Our exclusive Keystone Roundtables provide you access to insights from across the membership. Keystone Roundtable online meetings will cover a different topic focus at each. They are a great opportunity to learn more about the topic and find out what other members are doing. You can attend any Roundtable that is of interest to you. 

During this online meeting, our Resilience and Nature experts will share details of the current and upcoming projects they are working on, such as our groundbreaking Climate Resilience Roadmap, and the new projects and activities you can get involved with such as our Framework Definition of a Nature Positive Built Environment and the second phase of our work on Embodied Ecological Impacts.  

Who should attend? 

All Keystone members, regardless of level. No previous experience in resilience or nature topics required.

The post Keystone Roundtable: Resilience and Nature  appeared first on UKGBC.