UKGBC Glossary

Biodiversity Net Gain is the approach to building development that aims to have a net positive impact on biodiversity.  To achieve net gain, biodiversity value attributable to a development must exceed the pre-development value by 10%.

Learn more about Biodiversity Net Gain here.

A circular economy means moving away from the world’s current economic model of ‘take, make, throw away’, in which resources are extracted, turned into products. It suggests an economic system based on the reuse of materials and products as a means of continuing production in an environmentally sustainable way. 

Learn more about the Circular Economy here.

Refers to the adjustments in ecological, social or economic systems to limit the negative impacts of climate change. Essentially, climate change mitigation is preventative, adaptation is reactive.

Learn more about Climate Change Adaptation here.

Actions taken to reduce the production of greenhouse gases or removing these gases from the atmosphere to limit climate change.  

Learn more about Climate Change Mitigation here.

The ability to prepare for, anticipate and respond to dangerous events or disturbances related to the effects of climate change. E.g., resilient buildings built to withstand floods. 

Learn more about Climate Change Adaptation here.

Environmental Net Gain is a larger umbrella term for improvements to the natural environment.  

Learn more about Environmental Net Gain here.

A concept originating from 1970s USA, a just transition is a concept of moving to a more sustainable and regenerative economy using holistic approaches that are fair to everyone and reaps substantial green economy benefits. In short, it describes both where we are going and how we get there.

Solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. 

Learn more Nature Based Solutions here.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate
change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016

Total greenhouse gas emissions and removals, associated with construction products and construction processes, over the whole life cycle of a building, including its disposal (life cycle modules: A0–A5, B1–B5 and C1–C4, with life cycle module A0 assumed to be zero for buildings).

Learn more about Embodied Carbon here.

Emissions associated with materials and processes needed to maintain the building or infrastructure during use such as for refurbishments.

Learn more about Embodied Carbon here.

Net Zero is where all related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions have been reduced in line with a science-based target which aligns with what has been determined to be necessary to stand a reasonable chance of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5˚C above preindustrial levels as a minimum. These residual emissions are subsequently responsibly offset to achieve a sum total of zero emissions

Learn more about Net Zero.

When the amount of carbon emissions associated with a building’s product and construction stages up to practical completion is zero or negative.

Learn more about Net Zero.

When the amount of carbon emissions associated with the building’s operational energy on an annual basis is zero or negative.

Learn more about Net Zero.

Energy used by a building in use over its life cycle from all supplies, including renewable electricity or heat generated on-site (life cycle module: B6).

Learn more about Net Zero.

Greenhouse gas emissions, associated with construction products and construction processes, up to practical completion (life cycle modules: A0–A5, with life cycle module A0 assumed to be zero for buildings). Upfront embodied carbon excludes biogenic carbon sequestered in the installed products at practical completion.

Learn more about Embodied Carbon here.

Total greenhouse gas emissions and removals, both operational and embodied, over the whole life cycle of a building, including its disposal (life cycle modules: A0–A5, B1–B7, B8 (optional) and C1–C4, with life cycle module A0 assumed to be zero for buildings). WLC includes both removals and emissions of biogenic carbon.

Additionality describes the situation where an action results in an activity or intervention that otherwise would not have occurred had the action not taken place (i.e., additional relative to business-as-usual). In the context of procuring renewable electricity, additionality is achieved where greenhouse gas emissions reductions/removals occur as a result of new or repowered generating capacity that would not have happened in the absence of engaging in a given procurement route.

Carbon that is absorbed, stored and released by biological materials such as timber, hemp, straw and other plant‑based products. These materials temporarily store carbon absorbed during growth, which is reported separately from fossil‑based emissions in WLC assessments.

Payment to receive credit for a certified unit of carbon emission reduction or removal carried out by another actor. Varying levels of accreditation exist for carbon offsets.

Short-lived storage (typically biological) has higher reversal risk, usually on years-decades timescales. Long-lived storage (geologic/mineral/engineered) has low reversal risk, typically centuries-millennia.

Total greenhouse gas emissions and removals, associated with construction products and construction processes, over the whole life cycle of a building, including its disposal (life cycle modules: A0–A5, B1–B5 and C1–C4, with life cycle module A0 assumed to be zero for buildings).

Impacts from stages C1-C4 of the RICS WLCA23, covering Deconstruction and demolition, Transport, Waste processing, and Disposal.

A measure of the amount of energy from fuels that are consumed in a building, expressed as a function of its size (kWh per square metre).

A strategic, predefined trajectory that maps the gradual reduction of an asset’s carbon emissions over a specific timeframe (in the context of offsetting).

A form of lease or supplementary document that includes clauses relating to a building’s environmental performance.

An internal carbon price is a cost applied to carbon pollution to encourage polluters to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit into the atmosphere. It means giving a monetary value to greenhouse gas.

An internal carbon price is a cost applied to carbon pollution to encourage polluters to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit into the atmosphere. It means giving a monetary value to greenhouse gas.

Stages constituting WLC scope, outlined in the RICS WLCA, considering raw material extraction, product manufacturing, transport and installation on site through to operation, maintenance and eventual material disposal.

Greenhouse gas emissions (direct and indirect) associated with energy used by a building in use over its life cycle (life cycle module B6), or with the supply and wastewater treatment of water, used by a building in use over its life cycle (life cycle module: B7).

Energy used by a building in use over its life cycle from all supplies, including renewable electricity or heat generated on-site (life cycle module B6).

Chemical fluids used in the working cycle of most heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Most refrigerants fall into the ‘F gas’ category.

Greenhouse gas emissions that remain after taking all possible actions to implement emissions reductions given current resources and technology.

Consistent with the best available climate science using a greenhouse gas (GHG) budget, a set of emission scenarios, and an allocation approach, aligned to with specific temperature goals (1.5˚C or WB-2˚C of global warming).

The Standard’s limits and targets have been created to align built environment carbon emissions with our industry’s carbon and energy budgets. The trajectory is based on achieving net zero carbon within our industry by 2050, i.e. what is known to be required to stand a reasonable chance of mitigating global warming to 1.5°C (Climate science (https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/) shows that, to prevent the worst impacts of climate change on people and natural ecosystems, the planet’s average temperature rise needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.) The Standard also aligns with the energy demand reductions projected to be required to enable a net zero carbon energy supply sector.

Submetering is the installation of additional meters downstream of the utility supply point to measure energy or water consumption for specific areas, systems, end‑uses or tenancies, separate from the main meter.

A strategy adopted to smooth the transition from design and construction into use and to address problems that post-occupancy evaluations (POE) show to be widespread.

Greenhouse gas emissions, associated with construction products and construction processes, up to practical completion (life cycle modules: A0–A5, with life cycle module A0 assumed to be zero for buildings). Upfront embodied carbon excludes biogenic carbon sequestered in the installed products at practical completion.

This principle covers emissions from user behaviour (B8) and excludes operational energy and water use. This principle is the bridge between building design/management and the occupier’s ESG strategy (e.g., travel plans, sustainable procurement and catering policies), setting collaboration protocols via green‑lease clauses and, if agreed, reporting any B8 emissions separately from A–C.

Total greenhouse gas emissions and removals, both operational and embodied, over the whole life cycle of a building, including its disposal (life cycle modules: A0–A5, B1–B7, B8 (optional) and C1–C4, with life cycle module A0 assumed to be zero for buildings). WLC includes both removals and emissions of biogenic carbon.

Additionality describes the situation where an action results in an activity or intervention that otherwise would not have occurred had the action not taken place (i.e., additional relative to business-as-usual). In the context of procuring renewable electricity, additionality is achieved where greenhouse gas emissions reductions/removals occur as a result of new or repowered generating capacity that would not have happened in the absence of engaging in a given procurement route.

A technology via which CO2 resulting from a process is captured and used for other process or stored long term.

Carbon Offsets are certifiable and transferable units of emissions, termed credits, which can be purchased by an entity to balance their emission outputs through investment in additionality projects that remove (preferred) or reduce emissions elsewhere.

A carbon price is a cost applied to carbon pollution to encourage polluters to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit into the atmosphere. It means giving a monetary value to greenhouse gas.

Learn more about Carbon Pricing in our Carbon Offsetting and Pricing work here.

Compliance-based schemes where carbon pricing is implemented by national or international governments. 

Learn more about Emissions trading schemes in our Carbon Offsetting and Pricing work here.

Energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed

Learn more about Renewable Energy here.

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that an organisation emits are categorised into three scopes in terms of reporting and accounting. 

Direct emissions from sources that are controlled or owned by an organisation. This includes any onsite combustion (e.g., from gas boilers for heating, and from company vehicles).

Indirect emissions that result from the purchase of electricity, heat, or steam that is generated offsite.

Indirect emissions from sources that aren’t owned or controlled by an organisation, but that they indirectly affect in their value chain.

The effects of activities impacting the natural environment associated with the extraction, manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance, and end-of-life treatment of products required for use in the built environment. These impacts most commonly come from the activities within the supply chain, and are associated with the use of materials.

The balance of species in an ecosystem depends on the natural features of the environment such as the nutrient status, climatic conditions, water and light, as well as the relationship with other organisms including predators and agents of disease. An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.

A habitat is the area and resources used by a living organism or an assemblage of animals and plants.

Can be positive or negative contributions of a company or other actor toward the state of nature, including pollution of air, water, soil; fragmentation or disruption of ecosystems and habitats for non-human species; alteration of ecosystem processes.

A concept originating from the USA in the 1970s. A just transition is a concept of moving to a more sustainable and regenerative economy using holistic approaches that are fair to everyone and reap substantial green economy benefits.e d

The sequence of actions to anticipate and avoid, and where avoidance is not possible, minimise, and, when impacts occur, restore, and where significant residual impacts remain, offset for biodiversity-related risks and impacts on affected communities and the environment.

When, despite efforts to increase biodiversity, there are still more negative impacts than positive, resulting in an overall decrease in biodiversity. Using the BBPO reference of No net loss, we can infer that net loss is the condition in which the impacts of a development project, policy, plan, or activity on biodiversity exceed the measures taken to avoid, minimise, restore, or offset impacts, resulting in an overall decline in the extent, condition, or functioning of biodiversity relative to an appropriate reference scenario.

The point at which project-related impacts on biodiversity are balanced by measures taken to avoid and minimise the project’s impacts, to undertake on-site restoration and finally to offset significant residual impacts, if any, on an appropriate geographic scale (e.g. local, landscape-level, national, regional).ini

Nature impacts which occur on or within the site of a built asset. E.g. removal or addition of species, as well as air pollution, freshwater and land use changes, among others.

Nature impacts associated with onsite actions that have an impact outside and beyond the site of a built asset. E.g. habitat changes onsite that affect species movement, or connectivity off-site in nearby/adjacent landscapes (community or regional level). These impacts can also include changes to hydrology, air quality, noise and/or ecology outside the site boundary.t

Regenerative means having the quality of regeneration, which involves the process of healing and restoring something to a better or more active state after it has been damaged, grown weaker, or become inactive. A system of developmental technologies and strategies that works to enhance the ability of living beings to co-evolve, so that the planet continues to express its potential for diversity, complexity, and creativity through harmonising human activities with the continuing evolution of life on our planet, even as we continue to develop our potential as humans. Regenerative development provides the framework, and builds the local capability required to ensure regenerative design processes achieve maximum systemic leverage and support through time.

An approach in which human and natural systems are designed to co-exist and co-evolve over time. The value of a regenerative design approach is in its potential to regenerate planetary health and deliver positive outcomes for both people and planet.

This means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.

Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviours, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system.

An interconnected hierarchy of suppliers for services, materials and products, which are procured throughout the lifecycle of a built asset. Supply chains can be identified at different scopes and times; during ongoing asset management, a construction project, or the purchase of a single product.

The process of purchasing services, materials and products from a supplier. For example, within the lifecycle of a built asset, procurement may be used to purchase design services, construction works, building materials, electricity and gas, or an entire in-use building.

An organisation or individual who supplies services, materials and/or products to a customer.

An organisation or individual who can either affect, or be affected by, any activity during the lifecycle of a built asset. Stakeholders may or may not be part of the supply chain. Examples may include, local residents, community groups, shareholders, building occupiers, regulatory bodies, and local authorities.

A materiality assessment is a structured process to identify, evaluate, and prioritise the environmental, social, governance (ESG) issues that are most significant to their stakeholders and could impact the organisation’s long-term success. This assessment helps determine which topics are “material”, that is, important enough to influence the decisions and actions of the organisation and its stakeholders.

These are periodic and critical opportunities to ‘unlock’ higher levels of performance, such as change of tenancy, vacant possession, and standard maintenance and refurbishment cycles of building fabric or systems. Each trigger point should be scheduled into the Strategy, to set out when more significant, or disruptive retrofit projects can be carried out that are not as feasible at other times. Trigger points can also be imposed externally, e.g. through MEES regulations.

‘Optimisation’ is an iterative process where building controls and operational set points are adjusted in line with occupier behaviour. Such actions cause little or no disruption for building users and require little or no capital expenditure (CapEx). This report focuses on optimisation actions but also includes some that are defined as light retrofit where it is sensible to assess or undertake such actions at the same time as optimisation.

‘Light retrofits’ are the basic remodelling, replacement, or adaptation of existing building elements, which tend to focus on one single aspect or feature (e.g. lighting upgrades).

‘Deep retrofits’ are significant works of size or scale that result in a fundamental change to the building structure and/or services. If a number of light retrofit actions are undertaken together, the project may be classed as a deep retrofit. Also, as all buildings are unique, what is a light retrofit in one building may constitute a level of alteration, disruption, and cost as to class it as a deep retrofit in another.

A group of individuals from one or more organisations who collaborate for the purposes of improving the environmental (and social) performance of a building or organisation.

The lack of fair and reasonable distribution of financial obligations and rewards relating to energy efficiency investments among the actors concerned, for example the owners and tenants.

A computer based, central control system to manage the operation of a building’s services, for example, heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water and lighting.

A standard form lease with additional clauses included which provide for the management and improvement of the environmental (and social) performance of a building by both owner and occupier(s).