Westgate, Oxford
A shopping centre in Oxford that has offset landlord energy use over 30 years through embodied carbon savings at construction.

Highlights
- Client’s objective was to offset all the regulated operational carbon emissions from landlord areas with energy efficiency measures and embodied carbon reductions
- Operational efficiency savings achieved approximately 2,900 tCO2
- Embodied carbon savings exceeded the target eventually achieving some 30,000 tCO2e savings that were cost neutral
Approaches Used
- The development measured all carbon emissions throughout the life of the building: LCA modules A1-A5, B1-B6, C1-C4.
- The target set for the development was to be ultra-low carbon, defined as an offset of 100% of the regulated operational CO2 emissions over a notional 30 year lifespan allowing for the decarbonisation of the national electricity grid.
- A target of 25,777 tCO2 had to be offset through embodied carbon reductions against the stage C carbon budget (225,840 tCO2)
- Embodied carbon savings was achieved through the following:
- Concrete was sourced within 40-50km
- Structural steel sections had > 80% recycled content
- 100% of used timber formwork was sent to local recycling centres
- Steel reinforcement sourcing rebar to be sourced within 200km
- Structural steel sourcing steel to be sourced within 200km
- Insulation specification: high recycled content (min, 25%, preferably >50% recycled content)
- Plasterboard specification: recycled content of 80% – 90%
- Aggregate high recycled content (>25% recycled content)


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