Decarbonisation at heart of ground-breaking scheme

Retirement Villages Group (RVG) has said its 196-home mixed use development at West Byfleet, Surrey, will be the UK’s first net zero carbon scheme over its whole development and operational lifespan in the later living sector.The net zero status accounts for carbon generated by both the materials used to build the project, known as embodied carbon, as well as the ‘operational carbon’ used to run the development over an average 60-year lifespan.RVG, which is owned by AXA IM Real Assets, recently announced plans to acquire and develop up to 40 new later living schemes across the UK over the next 15 years and is committed to achieving ‘net zero carbon’ across the whole development and operational lifespans for all its projects. To reach its carbon reduction goals, RVG is establishing a decarbonisation fund (set at a self-imposed £70/tonne of carbon) that will offset embodied carbon from all its future developments.RVG’s newest schemes will also be designed and constructed to meet the highest 3-star ‘Fitwel’ standard, used to measure a user’s experience of living in a new building.RVG worked with consultant Hoare Lea on the West Byfleet scheme and to develop its sustainability strategy across the business.RVG’s approach is endorsed by the UK Green Building Council.