Part of: Climate Change Mitigation

Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council initiative, UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

In this section

Advancing Net Zero
Supply Chain Decarbonisation Task Group
Progress Against the Roadmap
Supply Chain Decarbonisation
Building the case for net zero
Verifying Net Zero Buildings
Renewable energy procurement
Commercial Retrofit
Carbon offsetting and pricing
Embodied Carbon

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council initiative, UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment.

Key Advancing Net Zero statistics

32

industry partners are involved in Advancing Net Zero projects.

100k+

downloads of UKGBC Advancing Net Zero outputs.

20+

products designed to equip industry with the knowledge needed to deliver net zero.

1

pathway to a net zero environment.

History of Advancing Net Zero

Following the turning point of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, the World Green Building Council identified the need to accelerate its work as the world seeks to keep warming well below 2C and decarbonise the global economy by 2050. To meet this challenge, they launched the Advancing Net Zero campaign which aims to promote and support the acceleration of net zero buildings to 100% by 2050. UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme remains a key component of this global effort.

Major outputs of the programme include the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition, which is now being applied to commercial, residential, and public sector buildings. The Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap for the Built Environment marks a major step forward for the industry by setting out a common vision and agreed actions for achieving net zero carbon in the construction, operation and demolition of buildings and infrastructure.

Discover essential ANZ knowledge

What does the Advancing Net Zero Programme do?

Now in its fifth year, the programme will continue to push to accelerate our sector’s decarbonisation journey, taking into account all areas of the supply chain, new and existing buildings. Looking ahead we will be delivering on the ambition set out within the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap and supporting industry to secure our pathway to net zero.

The programme will do this through:

  1. Defining – ensuring consistency and credibility of net zero carbon building claims.
  2. Enabling – building understanding and knowledge through creating guidance and reports to support the construction and operation of net zero carbon buildings.
  3. Implementing – engaging with professionals to help them put net zero carbon building principles into practice.
  4. Advocating – for progressive policy interventions to drive and raise performance across the whole of the market.
Learn more about the Whole Life Carbon Roadmap

Key areas of work

All Advancing Net Zero resources

Net Zero Buildings

Our Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition provides industry with clarity on how to define a net zero building.
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Commercial retrofit

UKGBC is developing guidance to enable industry to accelerate the delivery of commercial retrofit programmes.
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Home retrofit

Upgrading the nation’s homes to be more energy efficient is one of the biggest opportunities the UK has to reduce carbon emissions.
Learn more

Embodied carbon

We’re develop guidance to enable industry to accurately measure and report on embodied carbon.
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Circular Economy

Understanding the role a circular economy can play in our sector’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions.
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ANZ Forums

We’re running two industry forums: the Net Zero Carbon Solutions Forum and the Circular Economy Forum.
Learn more

Renewable energy procurement

UKGBC is working to update and build on its renewable energy procurement guidance.
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Carbon pricing and offsetting

UKGBC has developed guidance to equip industry to make responsible decisions around carbon offsetting.
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Building the case for net zero

UKGBC is supporting our industry’s transition to net zero by undertaking studies into net zero buildings.
Learn more

Get Involved

Events

Future event

Annual Keystone Members Event  

Our annual Keystone Meeting will be hosted by RICS at Surveyors House in the heart of Westminster, on the afternoon of 19th March from 1-5pm. This year’s event will focus on understanding and realising the UK Governments 7th carbon budget through industry action and policy. We are looking forward to welcoming you.
19 Mar, 2025
Event
In person

Blogs

Want to understand the basics?

We know that wherever you are on your sustainability journey, having succinct explanations of key concept is crucial. That’s why UKGBC created our ‘Bitesize’ Guides which give one page summaries of key climate change mitigation terms and ideas.
Download here

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our Climate Change Mitigation work is made possible due to the generous support of our Advancing Net Zero Programme Partners

All Advancing Net Zero Resources