INDUSTRY COMMENT
Seventh Carbon Budget recommendations advocate BEMS importance
BCIA President Stacey Lucas examines the Seventh Carbon Budget recommendations and what it means for the building controls sector
T
he UK government’s 2050 Net Zero target is intensifying the importance of having a clearly defined and balanced pathway to Net Zero. With that in mind, the Climate Change Committee (CCC)
delivered its recommendations for the Seventh Carbon Budget (CB7) in February this year. This set out the emissions reduction required between 2038 and 2042 for the UK to continue on a realistic and achievable path towards net zero in 2050. The CB7 recommendations are undoubtedly a step in the right direction and a sharpened focus on sustainability and energy efficiency is thoroughly welcomed. In fact, they suggest a hugely important role for the building energy management systems (BEMS) sector in the years to come, highlighting up to a 60% reduction in carbon emissions through the implementation of BEMS and other low-carbon technologies.
What is the CB7?
Following the Climate Change Act in 2008, the UK became the first country in the world to set legally binding five-year carbon budgets that limit total greenhouse gas emissions. Seventeen years later, the suggestions for the seventh iteration of these budgets were released, focusing on the five-year period between 2038 and 2042 and recommending a limit of 535 MCO2e – including emissions from international aviation and shipping. Delivered through a combination of different
approaches, ranging from demand reduction measures, engineered carbon dioxide removals, and low-carbon fuels and carbon capture and storage through to nature and electricity decarbonisation, the CB7 sets out a clear and balanced pathway for how the UK can work towards net zero emissions between 2038 and 2042.
Indeed, the CCC’s recommended target is an 87% reduction in UK emissions by 2040. With the CB7 mandating a major reduction in carbon emissions – and endorsing that BEMS will account for 60% of energy efficiency emissions reductions in the balanced pathway – the importance of increasing adoption of such technology cannot be understated.
How these recommendations will increase the importance of BEMS
With the CB7 mandating a significant reduction in carbon emissions, the demand for advanced building controls and automation solutions will rise – especially when you consider buildings will need to operate more efficiently to meet the stringent targets.
As the UK seeks to decarbonise its building stock and the CB7 focuses on transparency and data, the management and monitoring of energy consumption will therefore require up-to- date and accurate data – something building controls and automation systems can provide efficiently and simply. Additionally, there is expected to be
increasingly stringent building regulations as a result of the CB7’s carbon emissions targets. Consequently, BEMS will become an increasingly essential tool for ensuring compliance with these regulations. The sharper focus on the integration of
renewable energy sources and low-carbon technologies, such as solar panels and heat pumps, is certain to exacerbate the need for building controls and automation. Especially as BEMS can simplify and streamline the management of these technologies within buildings and ensure energy generated is used efficiently. Building controls and automation has
increasingly become a key part of the UK’s net zero journey in recent years. The CB7’s recommendations look set to elevate the BEMS sector to even higher levels in the years to come.
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May25.indd 1 8 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2025 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk 3/4/25 11:07
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