EAST MIDLANDS www.emc-dnl.co.uk/sustainability


Carbon out, savings in: Building back greener


Net zero carbon definition needs


agreement The lack of an agreed net zero carbon (NZC) definition could be hampering the built environment’s decarbonisation efforts, believe sustainability experts at a Nottingham-based construction consultancy. While the UK Government has a goal to


achieve this by 2050 and three-quarters of councils are now taking action, Focus Consultants claims the net zero carbon description does not include imports. In contrast, the UK Green Building


Council (UKBGC) has a policy that expects the entire supply chain emissions to be net zero for the NZC definition to be achieved. Jason Redfearn (pictured), managing


partner at Focus, who heads up the firm’s sustainability services, said: “This raises the question of whether a building that achieves NZC adhering to the UK Government’s definition and excludes emissions associated with imported products can be seen as NZC in line with the UKBGC. “Public bodies such as local authorities


are typically aligning their definition of NZC with the central Government’s – so should those bodies wish to construct a NZC building, which definition should be used? It is unclear if such questions are being tackled.” He said the UKGBC’s definition only


addresses selected life cycle stages of a building, excluding emissions associated with replacement, refurbishment and end of life – meaning calculated whole life emissions are artificially low. Further confusion is added by the World


Green Building Council adopting two additional definitions of NZC accounting separately for operational emissions and whole-life emissions. “The uncertainty created by so many


definitions of NZC could be an obstruction to the decarbonisation in the built environment,” Jason added.


40 business network June 2021


The Government wants construction to be one of the main engines behind its “building back greener” mantra but with the industry’s emissions hitting a record high in 2019, it faces a significant challenge to become more sustainable. Mark Deakin (pictured), regional strategic director for the Midlands at multinational real estate and infrastructure consultancy Turner & Townsend, explains how to crack the code of sustainable construction.


ECONOMIC OUTLOOK The construction industry contracted by 12.5% during 2020, the sharpest drop in output since the record fall recorded in 2009 caused by the global financial crisis. This was markedly worse than the -9.9%


retrenchment across the UK economy as a whole and represented the sharpest decline of all the key industrial sectors. By any measure, 2020 was a torrid,


rollercoaster year for UK construction – but it ended on a comparatively high note. UK GDP grew by 1.0% in Q4 2020,


successfully scotching talk of a “double dip” recession. The construction industry contributed well to that growth, increasing output by 4.6% across the final three months of 2020.


THE CASE FOR BUILDING GREENER As the economy unlocks and the Government’s generous support package for struggling firms is withdrawn, insolvency risks will emerge. Coupled with historic capacity constraints and skills shortages, inflation is likely to increase steadily across our forecast horizon. One key driver influencing future pricing will


be the increased demand and supply capacity for sustainable products as part of the Government’s green recovery and acceleration to net zero. Although large-scale options for cost-neutral


net zero retrofit schemes can be expected by the end of 2023, the dynamics of new-build properties bring a different set of challenges. However, if the Midlands unleashed its significant regional capabilities of cutting-edge research, technology, academic leadership and business innovation, it could help drive change in the industry. The University of Nottingham’s Research


Acceleration and Demonstration (RAD) building is one of the most energy-efficient research facilities in the UK and a great example of how we can successfully build greener.


MAKING CHANGE A REALITY Designing and implementing a truly net zero real estate strategy requires more than just warm words. Goals must be explicit and baked into the process, and while technology and data-led decision-making are important enablers, a successful shift to net zero demands permanent behavioural change too. There are five key steps to making that change a reality: • Clarity and alignment: Businesses must be clear with their supply chain about their corporate net zero vision, ensuring everyone understands what needs to be achieved and the route to achieve it.


• Procuring with purpose: You can only manage what you can measure. Firms must embed agreed technology standards into their contracting and procurement strategy, to ensure all stakeholders work to common parameters.


• Joined-up value engineering: Value engineering is a crucial part of cost management, right across the asset life cycle. Rather than being taken in isolation, decisions must factor in the impact on totex, solution interoperability and whole-life carbon, as well as the environmental performance of the asset.


• Getting more from the legacy estate: Asset owners must gather granular data on current progress in reducing energy use, decreasing embodied carbon and increasing renewable energy supply. IoT sensor technology offers the best way to amass huge amounts of operational data, but it must be visualised in a way that everyone can understand and act upon.


• All for zero, and zero for all: In buildings with multiple tenants, or where use changes over time, net zero operational targets can slip. Ongoing success requires owners to monitor the right data, reward the right behaviours and foster collaborative relationships with occupiers.


SUSTAINABLE


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