Lean, clean and green

New buildings that aren’t lean, clean and green have no place in a net zero carbon future, says Dan Allison, Divisional Director, Net Zero Buildings.

The construction industry is no stranger to the role it plays in generating carbon emissions – and therefore the role it must play in tackling them. Yet as an industry, we are still failing to make an impact at the rate that is required if the UK’s ambitious net zero targets are to be met.

The 2030 goal was always ambitious but in the absence of a unified strategy and a meaningful shift away from a culture of conversation to one of action – based upon measurable goals and accurate data – we will almost certainly fall far short.

Some would say that 2030 was always aspirational – yet the climate emergency demands an approach that pushes the boundaries. The Climate Change Committee recently added its voice to fears that UK ministers may seek to renege on legally binding commitments to achieve net zero by 2050, while listing the numerous milestones that we are already failing to meet.

The next two to three years will be critical to our ability to tackle the climate emergency and transform the way that new buildings are designed and delivered. While the social, economic and political challenges facing the world will certainly complicate matters, it is vital that both the government and the construction industry remain focused on achieving net zero carbon.

If the 2030 target is to be anything more than a loose ambition, the government must do more to drive forward the green strategy and encourage the industry to embrace it with more zeal and more urgency than it has done to date – despite the many competing pressures.

The reality is – despite the looming deadlines – we are still seeing buildings coming out of the ground that do not meet the right sustainability standards and are not fit for a net zero future. Those buildings are likely to require extensive – and expensive – refurbishment projects within a decade.

New schemes are often built to eliminate embodied carbon during the build process, but will that building remain zero carbon for the remainder of its life? Is it Net Zero Carbon in Operation?

Unfortunately, the answer is often no – while embodied carbon tends to dominate the conversation around Net Zero, Net Zero Carbon in Operation is frequently neglected.

As a minimum, every new scheme – whether a hospital wing, a new school or an office building – should be designed to be green and minimise operational energy.

The complexity of designing a particular-scheme to meet Net Zero Carbon in Operation varies depending on a range of factors, from its location and purpose through to its hours of operation –  but with the right advice in the early stages of a project, huge improvements can be made. From air tightness, air quality and U Values through to renewable energy generation, tomorrow’s buildings are more complex and will rely on accurate data to measure efficiency and performance.

The industry must lead the charge on sustainable design and MMC to ensure every new building maximises lean, clean and green technologies – but we will need more meaningful government backing to make it a reality.

Political will must be met by financial backing and support – whether that is tax breaks for new investment in zero carbon technologies or funding for new-innovation and R&D projects that will support the transition to net zero and finally see an end to the creation of new buildings that have no place in a net zero carbon future.

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