Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap
To avoid the worst catastrophes of the climate crisis, globally we must halve carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. The built environment is directly responsible for 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions and therefore has a moral and legal responsibility to rapidly decarbonise. UKGBC’s Whole Life Carbon Roadmap (The Roadmap) was created by a range of industry voices in response to this context and sets out a clear trajectory for industry and government as we work towards a net zero future.
Key Roadmap statistics
The Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap
The Roadmap was launched at the beginning of a crucial decade for climate action, with the need for our industry to decarbonise clearer than ever. It provides a common vision for achieving net zero carbon in the construction, operation and demolition of buildings and infrastructure. Critically, the trajectory demonstrates to industry and government that there is a clear pathway to net zero by 2050 for the built environment, setting out step-by-step actions for different stakeholders.
If embraced by these stakeholders, the pathway and action plans the Roadmap lays out have the potential to radically improve the future of our built environment; ensuring that our cities and communities are low carbon and sustainable for all.
The creation of the Roadmap
Collaboration was key, with comprehensive stakeholder engagement at all stages of this project that represented a significant cross-selection of our industry. Overall, more than 100 organisations co-created this guidance, and even more contributed through industry consultation. Launched , it represents industry coming together like never before to work towards the rapid decarbonisation of our sector.
The Roadmap is split into 4 key outputs. The Main Trajectory Report gives an overview of the project, key findings and the steps industry must take to achieve net zero by 2050. The Technical Report goes into more depth into the numbers behind the Roadmap and how our team arrived at the conclusions they did. The Stakeholder Action Plans give clear guidance for a range of built environment stakeholders as they work to meet these targets, and finally the Summary for Policy Makers recommends the key policies government should implement to enable industry to meet these targets.
A Progress Report on the Roadmap
To coincide with Built Environment Day at COP28, and to mark two years since the launch of the Roadmap, UKGBC reconvened our project partners to provide an update on the built environment sector’s progress towards meeting our net zero trajectory. This is in the form of a “Progress Report”. This Progress Report reviews progress in the four years since the 2018 baseline of the Roadmap. It presents the operational carbon, embodied carbon, and F-gas emissions of the entire UK domestic, non-domestic, and infrastructure stock based on reported data, for comparison against the progress determined to be necessary by the original Roadmap.
Overall, the Progress Report provides insight into progress (or lack thereof) on emissions reduction in the sector over the previous 4 years. The data and key findings are supplemented with narrative reflecting on the lack of supporting policy framework to deliver on the WLC Roadmap’s pathway to net zero.
What’s next for the Roadmap?
The Roadmap will be continually reviewed and updated by UKGBC. We aim to work closely with our members, policy makers and the wider industry to ensure the learnings of the Roadmap are well understood and its recommendations are being successfully implemented. As part of this, we’re hosting workshops, producing subsequent guidance and sharing knowledge across the value chain.
For the built environment, the Roadmap must remain just that – a roadmap we all follow as we work to decarbonise as a sector. Industry and policy makers are encouraged to use the report as a guide for decision making and path setting. At UKGBC, we’re following this expectation, as all of our carbon reduction workstreams directly respond to questions and recommendations raised in the report. We’re building a foundation of knowledge and guidance that supports this trajectory and make the net zero built environment possible.
Video summary of the Roadmap
Download the Roadmap files
Whole Life Carbon Roadmap
Technical Report
Summary for Policy Makers
Complete list of Stakeholder Action Plans
Download the Stakeholder Action Plans
Architects Stakeholder Action Plan
Building Service Engineers Stakeholder Action Plan
Contractors Stakeholder Action Plan
Developers Stakeholder Action Plan
Facilities Management Stakeholder Action Plan
Infrastructure Designers Stakeholder Action Plan
Infrastructure Owners Stakeholder Action Plan
Infrastructure Stakeholder Action Plan
Investors Stakeholder Action Plan
Landlords and Owners Stakeholder Action Plan
Material and Product Manufacturers Stakeholder Action Plan
NGOs and Trade Associations Stakeholder Action Plan
Occupiers Stakeholder Action Plan
Structural Engineers Stakeholder Action Plan
Blogs
Built environment must decarbonise nearly twice as fast by 2025, says UKGBC analysis
The Whole Life Carbon Roadmap – 4 Key Findings You Might Have Missed
The Whole Life Carbon Roadmap – Answering your data FAQs received to date
Perspectives from Julie Hirigoyen on Cities, Regions and Built Environment Day
Want to learn more about the Roadmap or get involved?
Get in touch with our Advancing Net Zero team who can answer your questions and let you know how you can get involved moving forward.
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