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Turley welcomes publication of the UK’s first Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS)

A pilot version of the UK’s first cross-industry Standard for net zero carbon aligned buildings was launched on 24 September 2024. The Standard has been championed by leading organisations, including the BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, IStructE, LETI, RIBA, RICS, and UKGBC; marking a landmark industry collaboration.

With input from over 350 experts and feedback from over 700 stakeholders, the Standard’s ambitious yet achievable requirements cover key areas such as embodied carbon, operational energy, fossil-fuel free design and renewable energy use.

The Standard is for anyone who wants to either fund, procure, design, or specify a net zero carbon building and anyone wanting to demonstrate that their building is 'net zero' aligned with an industry-agreed Standard.

We are proud to have contributed to the development of the Standard, with Head of ESG, Snigdha Jain and Director, Sustainability & ESG, Fiona-Lomas Holt appointed to the Top-Down and Embodied Carbon Task Groups, respectively.

Speaking about the Standard, Snigdha said:

"The Standard is a game changer, eliminating ambiguity and providing a level playing field for any building claiming alignment with ‘Net Zero Carbon’. The availability of clear performance limits and targets which are then demonstrably achieved through in-use metered data or as-built performance modelling, also eliminates the challenge faced with the performance gap, which has long plagued the building industry."

Fiona added:

"With embodied carbon currently making up a significant proportion of the UK’s built environment carbon emissions, it is so important we are able to accurately measure, monitor and reduce the carbon impact of the building materials and design choices made across an asset’s lifetime. I am confident that the limits proposed by the standard will drive positive change; fostering collaboration, encouraging uptake of low carbon materials and pushing for innovation."

The headline implications of the Standard for buildings are:

  • Performance limits have been set for Operational Energy (kWh/m2), Upfront Carbon (kgCO2e/m2) for buildings and renewables as well as Refrigerant GWP. Limits have also been placed on annual space heating demand delivered for some sectors (kWh/m2);
  • Performance targets have been set for on-site Renewable Energy Generation (kWh/m2); and
  • Fossil fuel use is precluded from buildings with some exceptions. 

The Standard will continue to evolve over time, notably to delineate responsibility between the base build and tenanted areas, as well as to recognise the importance of electricity demand management in balancing supply and demand.

Overall, the changes are very welcome and the next phase of development of a verification standard to complement the UKNZBS is set to further cement its position as the most robust and credible demonstration of climate change action. 

If you would like to understand more about the Standard or discuss net zero across new developments or retrofit projects, please get in touch with Snigdha Jain or Fiona Lomas-Holt.

The Standard is available to download here.

8 October 2024

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