The built environment is a key contributor to climate change and biodiversity collapse. Both pose a risk to our sector and business if we fail to evolve sufficiently quickly, or in the right way.  Wates recognises this, with Environmental Sustainability already being a strategic priority for a number of years, and a number of really exciting initiatives going on around the business. However, we knew that to achieve everything we wanted to and to speed up the change required, we needed to engage with our leaders in a more meaningful way that drove inspirational action across the Group.

Engaging leaders in meaningful conversations

We spoke to UKGBC and straight away they understood and connected to our vision.  Although we wanted to touch on some of the technical aspects of sustainability in the built environment, we didn’t need a technical training course. We did need to engage our leaders in a conversation about their role, their personal drivers and the change required in creating a more sustainable organisation. We needed to offer them an experience.

We also knew that our leaders time is valuable, and so the way we structured our programme was a key focus. UKGBC helped us design a tailored-made programme to suit our leaders busy schedules, combining bursts of online learning and transformative in-person workshops. to help us achieve the outcomes we wanted. A vital part of this blended approach was a two-day residential which took delegates away from the office environment and provided them with space in nature to reflect and truly engage in the conversation. This is very different to what they have experienced on other leadership programmes. Equally powerful was the final segment, where delegates were building on their personal change journeys to define the difference they want to make in their areas of influence.

The programme has been transformational both for our organisation and also our leaders as individuals, leading to a number of new initiatives being launched across the organisation”

Finding new ways to shape change

We now run our annual alumni event for all past and present delegates, offering them a chance to come together, re-engage and learn from each other. This event also supports our programme evaluation efforts, allowing us to capture real examples of operational change and impact. The benefit for our leaders to ‘cross pollinate’ across cohorts is really powerful and has created a network of like-minded change makers at Wates.

For myself working in a learning and Development role, working with UKGBC has felt like having an extension of our own team. they are extremely flexible, challenge our own thinking, and partner with us in the truest sense of the word”

During both the design and on-going delivery of the programme, UKGBC have shared their passion and expertise in a truly value-added way.  The feedback from our delegates is fantastic, with some taking it upon themselves to share their experiences on social media, and all expressing a shared purpose and commitment to change.  Others have used their experience on the programme to shape their business strategy, something which helped one delegate achieve a promotion.

Leaders in our Smartspace business were tasked with fitting out one of our own offices, and decided to challenge themselves to create the most sustainable workspace possible. This resulted in developing one of the most efficient spaces in the Wates portfolio. In fact, the feedback and impact of the programme was so good that our CEO insisted on attending the programme to see what all the fuss was about. Needless to say, he wasn’t disappointed.

As a result, our leaders are given an experience, rather than a training programme, that really challenges and supports them in how they lead on this topic. I would recommend partnering with UKGBC to anyone looking to engage their leaders in a conversation on leading environmental sustainability and drive real change in their organisation.

If you’d like to contact UKGBC about our Bespoke learning offering, feel free to email learning@ukgbc.org

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The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched its latest guidance on materials passports, reinforcing the drive towards circularity in the built environment. With construction and demolition responsible for 60% of the UK’s material use and waste generation, the sector faces a pivotal challenge: transitioning from a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model to a regenerative, circular economy. Materials passports are emerging as a tool to address this shift, but one of the key components to their success is environmental product declarations (EPDs).

The role of materials passports in circular construction

A materials passport is a digital record that captures essential data about a material’s composition, life-cycle impact, and reuse potential. By documenting these attributes, passports support informed decision-making at every stage of a building’s life-cycle — from design to deconstruction. They ensure materials retain value beyond their initial use, reducing landfill and supporting a truly circular economy. 

This aligns with the UK’s increasing focus on material reuse to lower embodied carbon. More developers and project teams now prioritise not just the upfront emissions of materials but also their potential for reclamation and reuse. However, for materials passports to function effectively, the industry needs standardised, reliable environmental and material data. While EPDs provide insights into environmental performance, a broader set of information—covering material composition, deconstructability, and circularity potential—is required to fully support their implementation. 

Why EPDs are essential to materials passports

EPDs, as defined by the European standard EN 15804, provide third-party verified data on a product’s environmental impact across its life-cycle. This independent verification ensures reliability, giving architects, engineers, and contractors confidence in their material choices. EPDs specifically measure global warming potential (GWP) — the key metric for assessing a material’s embodied carbon — alongside other environmental indicators. This data is broken down into core life-cycle stages, covering production, construction, use, and end-of-life. 

For manufacturers, this shift presents a challenge and an opportunity. As sustainability expectations grow, contractors and clients increasingly require EPDs from their supply chains. Without them, manufacturers risk exclusion from tenders where transparency on environmental impact is now a key selection criterion. 

The regulatory and market drivers for EPD adoption

Several regulatory and industry-led initiatives are accelerating EPD and materials passport adoption:

–UK Net-Zero Commitments & PAS 2080: The UK’s net-zero strategy is driving stricter embodied carbon reporting, with PAS 2080 emphasizing life-cycle assessment (LCA) and material transparency.

–EU Level(s) Framework & Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR): UK manufacturers selling in the European market must comply with ESPR, reinforcing the need for transparent product environmental data.

–Client and investor demand: With EDG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria shaping investment and procurement decisions, having EPDs can be a competitive advantage.

Mapping low-carbon products with digital tools

To fully utilise EPDs and materials passports, the industry must leverage digital tools that simplify access to environmental data. Platforms aggregating EPDs and materials passports into searchable databases allow architects, engineers, and contractors to compare materials based on carbon footprint, sourcing, and end-of-life potential. These tools also provide manufacturers with a platform to showcase their products, helping specifiers select materials aligned with sustainability targets and regulations.

EPDS and materials passports in building certifications

EPDs and materials passports contribute to key sustainability certifications. EPDs support compliance with embodied carbon reduction targets in BREEAM, LEED, RICS, and Level(s), while materials passports enhance circularity by tracking material provenance and reuse potential. Though not yet mandatory, they are increasingly recognised as essential for meeting sustainability benchmarks and certification requirements.

Streamlining EPD generation for materials passports

For EPDs to drive widespread materials passport adoption, the process of generating them must be efficient and accessible. Historically, EPD production was time-consuming and costly, but advancements in life-cycle assessment (LCA) software are streamlining and semi-automating the process.

Manufacturers can now generate and publish EPDs more efficiently, ensuring their products are market-ready and compliant with evolving regulations. By leveraging such tools, construction professionals can integrate materials passports into workflows more seamlessly, reducing complexity and improving traceability. 

Beyond EPDs: enabling circular construction through digital solutions

Beyond EPDs, digital platforms play a key role in promoting low-carbon materials. Global material databases, like Material Compass provided by One Click LCA, help AEC professionals assess materials based on environmental impact while allowing manufacturers to showcase their lower-carbon products. By integrating these tools, the industry can build a structured, accessible pathway from EPD creation to materials passport adoption, embedding sustainability within material selection and procurement.

From data to action: embedding materials passports in practice

To fully realise the potential of materials passports, stakeholders across the built environment must collaborate to standardise data collection, enhance material traceability, and integrate passports into Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows. This involves:

–Manufacturers prioritising EPD generation to ensure materials are eligible for passports and suitable for reuse.
–Architects and engineers incorporating materials passports into specifications, considering end-of-life material value at the design stage.
–Contractors and developers leveraging material databases to select circular products that align with sustainability goals.

A call to action for a circular future

As circular construction gains momentum, materials passports are emerging as a critical tool in the transition. However, without the foundational data provided by EPDs, their full potential remains unrealised.

For real progress, manufacturers, specifiers, and policymakers must work together to ensure environmental data is not only available but actively used to support material reuse and carbon reduction. By embracing materials passports and the EPDs that enable them, the UK’s construction sector can take a more meaningful step towards a truly sustainable, resource-efficient future.

How EPDs support materials passports

Materials Passports Guides

These practical and technical guides give an overview of Materials Passports and their crucial role in promoting circularity and reuse in the built environment.

Learn more

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The Government today announced its Plan for Change, which is proposing to raise the minimum energy efficiency standard required of privately rented homes in England and Wales to the equivalent of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C by 2030. 

Jo Wheeler Co-Head Policy and Places at UKGBC said:

UKGBC welcomes this consultation and proposal – we have long called for action to require landlords to achieve a minimum EPC C.

One in four renters are in fuel poverty so improving renters’ rights and introducing new minimum energy performance standards is an important justice, as well as climate issue for the Government to address. This regulation must be aligned with the proposed reforms to the current EPC system.

This proposal should form part of a wider national retrofit strategy with sufficient funding and comprehensive policies to coordinate action at the national and local level, and enable all householders to have homes that are warm, comfortable, and affordable to heat”

Policy and Advocacy

Since 2007, we have been bringing together some of the most influential leaders in politics, business, local authorities, civil service and NGOs to accelerate action for a green built environment.

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Operational Carbon vs. Embodied Carbon  

Our buildings are responsible for two types of emissions: operational and embodied. Operational carbon is the carbon emitted through the day-to-day activities of a building – whether that’s heating, cooling or ventilation, the running of key infrastructure like lifts or the powering of electronics and appliances. Simply put, operational carbon is what keeps a building’s lights on. 

Embodied carbon, on the other hand, is all the other carbon emitted by a building over its life cycle, including sourcing its materials, the construction process and, finally, demolition. This blog is going to focus on how we can reduce our operational emissions, but you can learn more about embodied carbon here.  

in 2018 71% of the UK built environment’s carbon footprint came from its operational emissions

Why do we need to reduce Operational Carbon and what are its main causes? 

As of 2018, according to UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, 71% of the UK built environment’s carbon footprint came from its operational emissions. Operating our offices, shops and other non-domestic buildings emitted 39.7 MtCO2e, with our homes having an even larger impact at 84.8 MtCO2e. To put these emissions in context, just operating the UK’s buildings puts as much carbon into the atmosphere as burning 288 million barrels of oil each year. The main causes of these emissions are: 

Fossil fuel heating in both homes and businesses

Fossil fuel driven electricity powering lights and appliances 

Inefficient buildings that leak valuable energy – particularly in winter. 

With a rapidly changing climate, we have a responsibility to reduce these emissions – and the good news is that the solutions are already out there. We just need to mobilise our industry and policymakers to roll-out at scale. 

Learn more about reducing reliance on fossil fuel powered electricity here.  

Reducing operational carbon in different building types 

Existing Homes  

We can reduce operational energy use in existing homes in three main ways:  

Insulation: The more efficient a building, the less energy it needs to keep warm and safe. We primarily improve a home’s efficiency through insulation in areas like: cavity walls, underfloor recesses and the roof. Additional efficiency measures like double glazed windows also help reduce precious heat leaching from a home, and reduce the energy needed to keep it warm. 

Switching to Electric Heating: 85% of UK homes use a gas-boiler for heating. Switching to an electricity powered heat pump is an opportunity for millions to move away from burning fossil fuels and drastically reduce their carbon footprint. 

Using Renewable Energy: Where possible, homes should seek to use renewable energy to power their electricity – whether that’s through renewable tariffs or on-site generation like roof-top solar panels.  

Learn more about retrofitting existing homes to be friendlier to the planet here.  

Existing Non-Domestic Buildings 

We can reduce operational energy use in existing non-domestic buildings by:  

Moving away from Fossil Fuel heating: As of 2018, 66% of commercial buildings’ emissions were from heating – by switching to electric systems non-domestic spaces can drastically reduce their impact on the environment.  

Introducing Building Performance Targets: Having targets for non-domestic buildings to improve their energy efficiency that include mandatory disclosure of their performance would galvanise action in this sector. Further building these targets into legal and commercial frameworks would raise the standard for buildings – ensuring all non-domestic buildings were having a limited impact on the environment.  

Embracing on-site Renewables: Many non-domestic developments such as warehouses, factories and shopping centers have large flat roofs that are ideal for solar PV.  

New Buildings 

We can reduce operational energy use in new buildings by:  

Putting energy efficiency first: All new buildings should be built with their energy performance in mind, ensuring that they are built as efficiently as possible to reduce future carbon emissions. This doesn’t just mean designing a home to keep it warm, but also designing it to keep it cool – so that extra energy won’t be needed for air conditioning in the future. 

Prioritising electricity: Of course, this means designing with a heat pump from the start and building solar panels into the roof, but it can also mean building in smart features that automatically save electricity. 

Learn more about standards for building new homes with low carbon emissions here.

What is industry already doing? 

Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard 

Launched in late 2024, the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard aims to create a robust, universal standard for all building types that allows industry to prove their projects are net zero and in line with the UK’s climate targets. As part of this standard, limits are set for the operational energy use in buildings and targets for on-site renewable energy generation. These limits are encouraging asset designers, builders and owners to considerably reduce their operational energy use in order to meet Net Zero.  

What is UKGBC doing about Operational Carbon?  

Our team has long been working on projects related to helping industry reduce operational carbon emissions in both new and existing buildings. Some key activities include:  

Renewable Energy Procurement: This work stream gives asset owners clear guidance on how to procure renewable energy and gives guidance on how to reimagine energy use and a flexible grid as we shift towards on-site generation and away from fossil fuels. Learn more here. 

Retrofit: Reducing energy use in existing homes through energy efficiency improvements has been a long-term aim for UKGBC. We work with both national and local policy makers to implement programmes that lead to the retrofit of homes to keep them safe, warm and cheap to run. In fact, home retrofit is a great example of climate friendly fixes – like reducing operational carbon – having positive social, health and financial benefits too. Learn more here.  

Operational Optimisation Labs: Throughout 2024 and 2025, UKGBC has been working to understand how optimising commercial buildings can reduce operational carbon emissions. Optimising a building, as opposed to undertaking a deep retrofit, is unobtrusive and can still lead to considerable carbon reductions without a building being taken out of us. The final outcome of this project will be launched in the spring, and you can find out more about the project and its supporters here.  

Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council initiative, UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

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Buildings are a crucial area of opportunity when it comes to environmental and social sustainability, as reflected at COP29 last year and in the CCC Progress Report. As more stories flood the news about the impacts of climate change being felt all over the world, there is also a huge amount of innovation happening to try and address this in the built environment. The UK Green Building Council has officially launched its annual Trends Report which looks at some of the trends in sustainable solutions observed over the course of 2024.

This article gives a flavour, but the full list of trends and associated solutions can be found here.  

Resilience and adaptation funding and technology  

Billions of people from across the world were effected by extreme weather events in 2024, and in the UK, 1 in 4 properties could be at risk of flooding by 2050. It is therefore critical that we increase the resilience of our built environment to climate hazards, to protect lives and support economic stability. In spring 2025, UKGBC will launch the UK Climate Resilience Roadmap for the built environment to drive understanding and consensus around critical climate resilience actions and policies. A key focus for 2025 will be finding innovative mechanisms to unlock funding for resilience projects and associated nature-based solutions.  

Innovation in this area includes crowdfunding platforms for nature and resilience projects, climate risk identification platforms, smart sensors, smart irrigation systems and parametric insurance that can automatically respond to extreme weather events.  

Net Zero Buildings and Whole Life Carbon

It is critical we continue our efforts to mitigate climate change as 2024 was the first calendar year to pass 1.5°C. Last year saw the launch of the landmark UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard – a collaborative, industry-led initiative to set science-led limits and targets for different kinds of buildings to be defined as net zero, aligned to our carbon and energy budgets. It also sets out all the requirements and approaches to verify these have been achieved. The Government’s Net Zero Building Strategy, which is due out after the completion of the spending review process, will likely also drive action in this area.  

Various digital solutions exist to support with achieving net zero carbon buildings, including reducing whole life carbon. Examples include using AI to automate the generation of EPDs for products and materials, platforms to help with low carbon material selection, using generative design to optimise building design to minimise embodied carbon and various whole life carbon design and calculation tools.  

Renewable energy systems

As well as bringing down energy demand in buildings, it is critical we also think about renewable energy generation, which may be through generating and exporting renewable electricity on site or through procurement. Our Renewable Energy Procurement Guidance seeks to provide clarity on best practice and has begun to be applied, with large built environment organisations requesting energy that meets the three principles: Renewable, Additionality and Time-matched.    

Buildings are becoming an increasingly active part of the electricity system, and innovators are addressing this in various ways. This ranges from demand management and load shifting so buildings can avoid drawing energy during peak times, through to helping identify suitable buildings for renewable energy and aggregating purchasing to achieve economies of scale. There are also many solutions emerging for peer-to-peer trading and the creation of virtual power plants.  

Addressing supply chain emissions is another area we expect to receive greater attention, as organisations seek to address their scope 3. UKGBC has therefore recently launched a new workstream on Supply Chain Decarbonisation to enable cross-sector collaboration on this topic. We expect organisations to scale up supply chain engagement initiatives to improve data quality and availability and build a better understanding of requirements. Organisations should also drive for greater procurement of low carbon materials.   

Innovation in this space include digital platforms to encourage data sharing, visualisation and optimisation of supply chains, as well as innovative ways to track materials throughout supply chains, including RFID tags and Internet of Things devices.  

Reuse hubs and material passports 

The concept of the circular economy in the built environment has been becoming more widely researched and understood in recent years and the UK Government has now officially launched its Circular Economy Taskforce. UKGBC expects this trend to continue into 2025 with the development of more established secondary material marketplaces, through brokerage, marketplace and take-back-scheme models. Furthermore, material passports have continued to gain traction, with various platforms emerging and the European Commission looking into regulation regarding a Digital Product Passport for the construction sector. Solutions also exist which enable tech-enabled pre-demolition audits to build understand of material availability and facilitate reuse.  

Place-based approaches and community co-design

There are growing calls for the built environment to move beyond a form of sustainability that only minimises negative impacts, towards having an actively positive, regenerative impact on people and planet. This increases the importance of taking a place-based approach to design and development that fosters and enables community co-design. UKGBC’s new Regenerative Places Programme is responding to this, exploring how local retrofit strategies can be leveraged to deliver broader regenerative benefits to communities. Coupled with the Government’s plan for devolution there will likely be greater emphasis placed on action and engagement at the local level.  

Innovative technologies are also being developed and deployed to support with this to enable data to be collected and presented in more engaging ways, for example using gamification or VR. Some innovators are also exploring decentralised modern methods of construction approaches, which can provide local jobs and rapid manufacture of homes in local areas. 

Overall, in 2025 we hope to see increased adoption of sustainable solutions in the built environment, which UKGBC will be seeking to support through our Scaling Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment initiative. This will also require greater upskilling, collaboration, transparency and a holistic approach to sustainability, considering the co-benefits and negative externalities of solutions and projects across the industry.  

This article summarises a some of the sustainable solution trends, but the full list alongside associate solutions can be found here. 

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The UK Green Building Council – which represents some of the UK’s biggest names in the built environment, including housebuilders, banks, social housing providers, local councils, developers, estates and engineering companies and universities – responds to President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.

Smith Mordak, chief executive officer at the UK Green Building Council, said:

President Trump pulling the US out the Paris Agreement is as heart-breaking as it is unsurprising. Not only is this a blow to international co-operation around our civilization’s greatest collective challenge, but a preposterous betrayal of his own citizens currently suffering the terrifying wildfires in California. My resolve to collaborate with climate action colleagues around the world is stronger than ever and UKGBC remains committed to collaborating for action on the climate and nature crises with our colleagues around the world.”

Policy & Advocacy

Since 2007, we have been bringing together some of the most influential leaders in politics, business, local authorities, civil service and NGOs to accelerate action for a green built environment.

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Industry Pulse Check

This publication forms part of a series called the Industry Pulse Check, a periodic report on the built environment sector’s progress in reducing emissions in line with the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap. Each publication highlights areas where the industry has made strides on the priority actions identified in the Roadmap and where it is falling short. It identifies stakeholders responsible for essential future actions and features voices of industry professionals urging the sector to elevate its efforts.

Embodied carbon emissions account for approximately 50% of lifecycle emissions for new builds, yet they remain unregulated, and measurement and mitigation within design and construction is mostly voluntary. As a significant contributor to the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, embodied carbon must be tackled in order to meet the UK’s carbon budgets.

Addressing this issue requires a dual approach: enhancing design efficiency and optimising material choices by building designers, while also decarbonising the supply chain through industrial strategies and carbon pricing policies. The development of the UK building stock should prioritise a “retrofit first” strategy, driving the circular economy, fostering second-hand materials markets, and increasing re-use. 

The development of the UK building stock should prioritise a “retrofit first” strategy, driving the circular economy, fostering second-hand materials markets, and increasing re-use. 

Will Arnold, Head of Climate Action at The Institution of Structural Engineers, said:

Recent years have seen significant voluntary action on whole life carbon from across the sector. Guidance, tools and training continues to increase the capacity of project teams to understand and reduce the carbon emissions from their designs. Exemplary projects touch the ground more lightly each year, and the launch of the 1.5°-aligned UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard provides the watermark against which such projects can be judged. 

The challenge now is to ensure the take-up of such skills across every project, not only the exemplars. The time is right for whole life carbon regulation to be introduced, bringing industry-wide consistency on reporting requirements, and levelling the playing field between projects. Experts have been calling for such regulation since 2007, and the 200+ statements of support shown on the Part Z website demonstrate wide backing from industry.” 

What is the industry doing about Whole Life Carbon?

The industry is beginning to shift its approach to decarbonisation, driven by an improved knowledge and awareness of whole life carbon and the urgent need to reduce embodied carbon emissions. Leading private companies, industry organisations, and local authorities have been taking initial steps in this area by setting operational energy and upfront embodied carbon targets, demonstrating a commitment and drive to reduce emissions associated with development.

Currently, the measurement and mitigation of embodied carbon at project level is voluntary, with regulatory or statutory mechanisms only in place in a handful of local authorities. While leading developers and infrastructure clients measure and optimise the embodied carbon footprint of new projects, and technical standards and guidance are available to support this, this practice is not yet mainstream across the industry. 

New standards to support Whole Life Carbon reductions

In July 2024, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) introduced the  Whole Life Carbon Assessment Professional Standard, updating the previous 2017 Professional Statement. The new Standard sets a high bar for consistency and reliability in whole life carbon modelling and reporting. To advance further the industry needs to collectively contribute their whole life carbon data to open-access resources, such as the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD). Shared and accessible data is vital for further informed target-setting, decision-making and industry-wide improvement. 

Industry organisations have also played a pivotal role in advancing the decarbonisation mandate through the development of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, a landmark initiative which established limits that align with the 1.5°C global heating threshold set by the Paris Agreement. The Standard provides clear, time-bound limits for upfront embodied carbon, creating a definitive pathway for industry to align with a 1.5°C heating scenario. The industry’s collaboration in creating this standard underscores the shared understanding of the urgent need to address climate change and willingness to lead by example.

Advocating for legislative support

The Part Z campaign, driven by industry advocates, continues to push for mandatory whole life carbon measurements and upfront embodied carbon limits to be included in UK building regulations. This campaign highlights the necessity of legislative support to drive widespread adoption and ensure that carbon considerations are part of every stage of a building’s lifecycle. Many leading companies and organisations support this campaign, recognising that regulatory frameworks are essential for achieving systemic change. 

We need government policy on Whole Life Carbon

robust action from the national government is critical to bring the rest of the industry up to speed

Despite these advancements, robust action from the national government is critical to bring the rest of the industry up to speed. This requires mandating whole life carbon assessments in building regulations and ultimately introducing legal limits to upfront embodied carbon, with a view to future revision and tightening as required. Without such intervention, the progress made by leading companies and organisations may not be enough to drive the widespread, systemic change required to meet the UK’s carbon reduction targets. 

Local authorities leading by example

Several local authorities, including the Greater London Authority, Milton Keynes City Council, Bath & North-East Somerset Council, and Southampton City Council, have taken commendable steps to incorporate whole life carbon measurements and limits into their planning requirements. These actions set a benchmark for other regions and demonstrate the potential for local governance to drive progress at a regional level.

Alex Benstead, Senior Advisor at UKGBC, said:

With the urgent need to cap global temperature increases at 1.5°C, it’s alarming that around 1 in 10 tonnes of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, specifically those related to embodied carbon, remain unregulated. We need responsible government action to mandate whole life carbon measurement in building regulations and introduce legal limits on embodied carbon. 

This is crucial for supporting ongoing positive actions. Industry consultants are constantly improving the consistency and reliability of their carbon modelling and reporting. Several Local Authorities are leading by example, incorporating whole life carbon measurements and limits into their planning requirements. Now bold steps need to be taken to mainstream these practices.” 

Stakeholder Action Plans

The Whole Life Carbon Roadmap includes 14 individual Stakeholder Action Plans that set out specific recommended actions for key industry stakeholders. These plans enable stakeholders to contribute effectively to achieving the Roadmap’s goals. Below is a summary table of the actions related to this Key Priority: Whole Life Carbon Measurement and Agreed Limits. 

To learn more about the Stakeholder Action Plans, join our unique collaborative programme with our membership to drive greater action, and understand the industry status on delivery of the actions within the plans – where are we and what more do we need to do?  

Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap

The industry’s pathway to net zero by 2050.

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Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council initiative, UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

View more

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The inquiry has looked at issues surrounding the ability of UK citizens to heat their homes and to take control of their energy bills, touching on issues of energy efficiency (including insulation), heat pumps and other technologies that might replace gas boiler heated homes, the need to ensure new builds and renovated houses meet decent heat standards, the infrastructure problems surrounding delivering warm homes and the need to ensure that there is a skilled workforce when needed. 

Many UK consumers are also struggling to afford their heating bills: the percentage of households in England spending more than 10% of their income after housing costs on domestic energy rose to 36.4% in 2023.  The new Government committed in its manifesto to upgrading five million homes over five years with the £6.6bn Warm Homes Plan. This is expected to include grants and low-interest loans to support families to invest in insulation, low-carbon heating and home improvements.  Alongside this, the Government has committed to boosting minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented homes and social housing.  

Jo gave evidence across themes of the current Warm Homes Plan detail, existing retrofit support schemes and why they have undelivered, and how the Government can help consumers make informed decisions. She emphasised the need for longer timescales to build industry confidence, policies which encourage homeowners to invest their own money (such as a Warm Homes Stamp Duty) and the importance of equipping local authorities with the skills and resources to carry out retrofit programmes.  Many of these points were echoed by Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh in a later evidence session.

Watch Jo’s session (from 14:57:09 to 15:56:28) here : Parliamentlive.tv – Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

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The Government has published its full response to the National Planning Policy Framework consultation today. Whilst they have updated the text to make clear that climate change is important in both decision-making and plan-making, this still doesn’t go far enough.

Anna Hollyman, UKGBC’s co-head of Policy & Places, responds to the government’s updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) announcement:

Every planning decision is an opportunity to create greener, safer and healthier communities. This updated NPPF has made a small step towards achieving this, but ambition on climate and nature in planning needs to be strengthened.   

That’s why we propose linking the Planning Act with the Climate Change Act and the Environment Act so that climate, resilience, and nature are given weight in every planning decision.  

Attention on high-quality, sustainable buildings is welcome, but this needs to be complemented by a Future Homes Standard which is fit for purpose and supports ambitious local authorities that want to deliver homes that are energy efficient and comfortable both now and in the future. Retrofitting and refurbishing existing buildings will lower carbon emissions and reinvigorate struggling communities by providing desirable homes.   

The planning system should work with nature, not against it. Protecting and integrating biodiversity and providing access to nature is essential to achieving the goal of creating climate safe, healthy and thriving communities. This means conducting biodiversity assessments on all sites, rather than assuming a greenlight for all brownfield development.” 

The Government has published its full response to the National Planning Policy Framework consultation today. Whilst they have updated the text to make clear that climate change is important in both decision-making and plan-making, this still doesn’t go far enough.  

We need a clear new ‘purpose’ for the English planning system – linked directly to the Climate Change Act, and we would argue the Environment Act too – so that every single planning decision needs to help, not hinder, our response to the climate and nature emergencies, as well as the cost-of-living crisis. 

This would mean that every decision would be more predictable, quicker, less adversarial, and the places created would be healthier, safer, and last well into the future. The green belt should be protected and rewilded except in exceptional circumstances. Strategic landscape-scale decisions should be made to protect communities from flooding and overheating. And our existing built assets conserved, with a presumption for retrofit over demolition and rebuild. 

The NPPF includes requirements to ensure homes are high-quality and well-designed, alongside promised updates to the National Design Guidance. This is welcome, but must be complemented by improvement to building regulations (through the Future Homes and Building Standards) and support for ambitious local authorities, who want to deliver homes that are energy efficient and comfortable both now and in the future. 

UKGBC was among the respondents to point out that brownfield land can be haven for nature in urban areas, and sometimes contains more biodiversity that greenfield land. The most sustainable way to build is to create greater density, while protecting green spaces. We do not believe the default answer when asked to build on brownfield should always be ‘yes’, and urge the government to considering assessing biodiversity on these sites before permitting building. 

The stakes were high. If we get the planning system right, we open a new era of clean electricity, affordable homes where they’re needed, and large strategic areas to protect and restore nature. However, if ambition on climate and nature remains weak we could destroy what’s left of nature, bust our legally binding carbon budgets, and see a nation up in arms. 

Policy & Advocacy

Since 2007, we have been bringing together some of the most influential leaders in politics, business, local authorities, civil service and NGOs to accelerate action for a green built environment.

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The post UKGBC responds to updated National Planning Policy Framework appeared first on UKGBC.

Simon McWhirter, deputy CEO of the UK Green Building Council, responds to the government’s consultation on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) framework.

UKGBC welcomes today’s consultation and the renewed commitment from government to ensure that EPCs are fit for purpose.  We’re particularly pleased to see recognition that domestic EPCs need to focus more on reducing carbon emissions and supporting people in reducing their energy costs. It is encouraging that the government has left the door open for future metrics and it must prioritise including information on actual energy use, health and climate resilience. EPCs are vital for understanding the impact our buildings have on our bills, our health, and our environment – this consultation is an important step towards updating a tool which will be crucial for meeting our net zero commitments, upgrading the quality of our built environment, and empowering individuals to transform their energy usage.  We look forward to working with our members to respond in more depth in due course.” 

Policy and Advocacy work

Since 2007, we have been bringing together some of the most influential leaders in politics, business, local authorities, civil service and NGOs to accelerate action for a green built environment.

Learn more

The post UKGBC responds to government’s consultation to reform EPCs appeared first on UKGBC.