Howes Percival
Putting the substance into sustainability
We hear the phrase ‘net zero’ on an almost daily basis but do you know what it actually means and how it might aff ect your business? The UK government committed itself to a 100%
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, relative to 1990 levels. T is was done via the Climate Change Act (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019 and is known as the ‘net zero target’. It is a legally binding target. Net zero will happen when the amount of carbon we add
to the atmosphere is no more than the amount removed. Although carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas, it is the most signifi cant, hence the term ‘carbon emissions’. 2050 is considered the fi rst realistic date for balancing net zero with economic growth. After surface transport, the built environment is the
UK’s largest source of climate emissions, accounting for 25% of them. T is fi gure derives from a combination of operational emissions - the energy needed to heat, cool and power buildings – and embodied emissions – those associated with the extraction and production of materials and the construction, maintenance, and demolition of buildings and infrastructure.
Deborah Caldwell Professional Support Lawyer Commercial Property Howes Percival
Decarbonising new buildings The Future Homes and Buildings Standard (FHBS) sets out the government’s mandatory standards for the decarbonisation of new buildings in England from 2027. It encompasses two standards: the Future Homes
Standard (FHS) for dwellings and the Future Buildings Standard (FBS) for commercial buildings. Legislation is expected in December 2025, to come into eff ect a year later, with a transitional period running to December 2027. T e FHBS will impact everyone involved in creating
new buildings: from investors and funders, developers and designers, consultants and engineers, to sub-contractors and surveyors, manufacturers and suppliers of construction materials, building control bodies and occupiers. Architects will need to integrate energy modelling into their designs, working with energy consultants and sustainability experts to navigate the new standards. T e Standard aims to create carbon-neutral buildings,
although it does not address embodied emissions. Key features include improved building fabric efficiency; ventilation and indoor air quality; and low-carbon heating systems. T e Standard focuses on reducing operational carbon
by improving the thermal effi ciency of the building’s fabric through: enhanced levels of insulation in walls, roofs, and fl oors; high-performance windows and doors; and minimised thermal bridging to prevent heat loss at weak points where conductive materials penetrate insulation. Increased airtightness of buildings will reduce heat
Deborah Caldwell
loss but necessitate mechanical ventilation systems and standards to maintain healthy indoor air. Smart ventilation controls will balance air quality and energy use and more stringent Part L Building Regulations will be necessary as the electricity grid decarbonises, to ensure that no further work will be needed for new buildings to meet net zero. Recognising that heating and hot water demand is
a massive source of carbon emissions, the FHBS will ban gas boilers, gas water heaters and fossil fuel heating in favour of low-carbon heating systems such as air or ground source heat pumps and electric heating systems with smart controls.
Decarbonising existing buildings 80% of today’s buildings will still be around in 2050, so decarbonising existing stock is an equally, if not more, important step towards achieving net zero but it presents greater challenges than new builds. Currently, the UK employs a combination of mandatory and incentivising measures.
District heat networks Energy-efficient buildings will be supported by the expansion of district heat networks, especially in dense urban areas. T ese networks connect multiple buildings to a single, low-carbon heat source. Heat networks are not yet mandatory or regulated in the UK but they are being phased in.
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
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