Built environment must decarbonise nearly twice as fast by 2025, says UKGBC analysis

First update of the UK Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, the built environment’s action plan to 2050 developed by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), reveals significant lack of progress and policy gaps

On ‘Built Environment Day’ at COP28, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published new insight revealing the built environment industry is significantly off-track from the trajectory required to meet the UK’s national net zero commitments.

The built environment, which includes key sectors such as property and construction, is the largest source of climate emissions in the UK economy after surface transport. It is unlike any other industry when it comes to global and domestic emissions reduction, given its all-encompassing ability to improve lives, enhance resilience, fosters skills, create jobs, and promote equity.

This analysis – a progress report updating data related to UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap published at COP26 in Glasgow – reveals that between 2018 and 2022, carbon emissions from the UK built environment fell by 13%, significantly less than the 19% required to meet the UK’s net zero pathway. In real terms, the shortfall represents 11 MtCO2e of carbon emissions, equivalent to the annual polluting output of 6.5 million cars.  

Such insufficient progress over four years will require key built environment sectors to decarbonise nearly twice as fast over the next two years in order to achieve emissions reductions reflective of the net zero pathway established by the Whole Life Carbon Roadmap.

Such insufficient progress over four years will require key built environment sectors to decarbonise nearly twice as fast over the next two years in order to achieve emissions reductions reflective of the net zero pathway established by the Whole Life Carbon Roadmap.

The update also examines areas of the industry where faster progress is needed, and assesses the impact of the pandemic on decarbonisation. Key findings include:

  • Despite a substantial reduction in construction sector output during the pandemic, embodied carbon emissions fell by just 4% since 2018, less than a quarter of the pathway target
  • Covid-19 had a notable impact on energy demand and operational emissions from buildings, but recent record lows in domestic energy consumption were driven by record warm temperatures together with rising energy prices and high costs of living in 2022

Commenting on these findings Smith Mordak, Chief Executive at UKGBC :

Unprecedented global events have shaped the story of the built environment over the last 4 years, but despite forced emissions reductions during the pandemic, this progress report makes one thing clear: our industry is not moving fast enough.”

The report also highlights a critical and substantial gap in national policies that could make-or-break the built environment’s efforts to meet the required decarbonisation pace and scale. The report calls on political leaders to reject the recent U-turn away from ambitious net zero action, instead calling for urgent government action in three key policy areas:

  • A step-change in national government investment in home retrofit to make it affordable and accessible to all – including a stamp duty incentive to reward home decarbonisation
  • A more robust regulatory landscape to ensure new homes and buildings will be genuinely ready for a net zero future.
  • Clear national legislation to give climate and nature priority in planning decisions, and a system of local carbon budgets to enable local decision-making aligned with national targets.

Reflecting on the political context, Mordak adds:

The timeline to meet net zero cannot extend. We must now reduce emissions twice as fast as we have been to get back on track. The later we leave it, the harder it will be and the greater the missed opportunities for tackling interconnected nature and social crises. Industry and government need to work hand in hand to create decisive change and bridge the emissions gap that sets us on path to deliver net zero.”

This project forms part of WorldGBC’s #BuildingLife collaboration project, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Ikea Foundation and Laudes Foundation.

Download the Progress Report

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