Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap Project

In 2021, UKGBC launched the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, which sets out a pathway for the decarbonisation of the built environment in the UK. This multi-stakeholder initiative aimed to demarcate clear sector-based carbon allowances, targets and actions, as well as build widespread industry buy-in to the net zero pathway laid out.

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December 9, 2020

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Policy & Advocacy, Research & Innovation

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Roadmap: Now Live

UKGBC formally launched the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap in November 2021, at COP26. A recording of the launch event is available here. All of the Roadmap outputs are available to download here.

Project Overview

UKGBC is one of several European GBCs developing national whole life carbon roadmaps under the #BuildingLife project. The roadmaps aims to build a common vision and agreed actions for achieving net zero carbon in the construction, operation and demolition of buildings and infrastructure, building on the action pathways for operational energy and embodied carbon developed by WorldGBC and forming the Whole Life Carbon Vision.  

The UK project brought together diverse stakeholders from across the built environment sector and consists of two main elements: 

  1. A science-based trajectory for reducing built environment emissions in line with limiting global temperature rises to below 1.5 degrees, building on the 2013 Green Construction Board Low Carbon Routemap which was updated according to the latest climate science and expanded to cover all built environment sectors 
  2. An action plan setting out the industry actions, government policies and associated mechanisms and processes that will be needed to manage the net zero transition in the built environment, along with declarations of support from key organisations across the sector 

The roadmap covers the entire building life cycle and includes all building types as well as infrastructure. Critically, the development of the Roadmap was an industry-led, consensus-based process, developed in consultation with market stakeholders and policymakers and launched with industry. The roadmap was central to UKGBC’s COP26 advocacy and was launched at the COP26 conference in Glasgow in November 2021. 

For more information about the project, you can access the slide deck from the December 11th, 2020, project launch event.

DOWNLOAD LAUNCH SLIDE DECK 

 

 

Consultation

*Please note our consultation is now closed

As part of the collaborative process of creating the Roadmap, the draft proposals were open for consultation in August 2021. The consultation covered the following three points:

  • A Net Zero Scenario (Definition and Results) calculating an emissions budget and trajectory to 2050 for the UK Built Environment sector, based on existing data and forward-looking projections.
  • Government and Local Authority Policy Recommendations that set out the critical policies and milestones needed to accelerate the built environment sector’s decarbonisation.
  • A Stakeholder Action Plan that identifies key actions required for stakeholders within the built environment.

The consultation document contains information about the project process and proposals, as well as a summary of the consultation questions.

If you have questions, contact Alexandra.Jonca@UKGBC.org.

DOWNLOAD CONSULTATION DOCUMENTS

 

 

Industry Engagement

Four Task Groups comprised of over 50 experts were formed to work through the decarbonisation implications across sectors and develop a timeline of solutions. An industry-wide Steering Group had also been formed to oversee the Roadmap development and provide strategic input throughout the process. The groups worked together from April-September to develop the initial Roadmap proposals.

If you would like updates on the development of the Roadmap and opportunities to get involved, please contact Alexandra Jonca.