- Buildings and construction produce 30% of global CO2 emissions
- UK’s move to leave the EU may mean reduction efforts are deprioritised
Last December, at the UN Climate Change conference in Paris, more than a dozen companies from across the built environment pledged to help drive delivery of “nearly zero energy buildings” by 2020.
This week, the World Green Building Council announced that it would be producing a “net zero” building certification and specialist training programme to make sure that all buildings are generating the power they need through on-site renewable energy by 2050.
Globally, buildings and construction are responsible for more than 30% of CO2 emissions and the sector is expected to contribute six degrees of global warming if it continues with business as usual. To keep global warming within the recommended 1.5 to two degrees, property needs to reduce its carbon emissions by 84 gigatonnes by 2050.
The Advancing Net Zero project requires Green Building Councils around the world will be required to develop action plans with the aim of launching national net zero certifications as soon as possible.
“The success of our ambition to keep global warming to within 1.5 to two degrees will depend on our ability to advance net zero buildings – those that generate clean energy and produce no net emissions,” said WorldGBC chief executive Terri Wills. “Net zero buildings will be a defining contribution in our efforts to tackle climate change.”
Land Securities was one of the dozen real estate firms at December’s UN conference to commit to near zero levels of carbon by 2030, alongside British Land, Hammerson and JLL.
LandSec has committed to reduce its carbon intensity by 40% by 2030, and by 80% by 2050. And it is well on its way to achieving this goal. The REIT had previously set a target of 15% by 2020, but has already surpassed that.
Head of sustainability Caroline Hill welcomed the WorldGBC’s new plans. “Sustainability is a top priority for us. As the largest listed commercial property company in the UK, we have a responsibility to lead the way on reducing emissions,” she said.
Hlll added: “We have committed to a new science-based carbon reduction target to ensure we play our part in remaining within the two degree target.
“Getting down to zero won’t be easy,” said Wills. “This will be a long and challenging road but together we can create a thriving market for highly efficient buildings and make net zero the new normal.”
Alongside introducing a certification for net zero buildings that calls for no new schemes to be built below the standard by 2030, the WorldGBC has committed to having 75,000 professionals trained on net zero building by 2030 and 300,000 by 2050.
Eight Green Building Councils from around the world have already signed up to the initiative, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, the Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden.
Romilly Madew, chief executive of Australia’s GBC, which has already started certifying net zero development, said: “We have strong and credible evidence that we can reach net zero in our built environment by 2050. We have the skills, the technology and the knowledge. Now it is time to take action.”
But in the UK at least, this new push for developers, architects and designers to consider sustainability may have come at the most inopportune moment, with all eyes focused on the economic impact of the country’s vote to leave the European Union.
“Both economic and political uncertainty will have some people asking whether the green agenda needs to be de-prioritised while business goes into firefighting mode. This must, and need not happen,” said Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the UK GBC.
“The incentives remain strong for business to address climate change and other urgent sustainability challenges. Arguably now, more than ever, we need to minimise future risk, reduce costs, add value for clients, generate new commercial opportunities and ensure we have the best people working as productively as possible. A sustainable built environment is fundamental to these objectives.”
A low-carbon, sustainable built environment is good for UK plc and requires a clear and consistent policy landscape, in or out of the EU, she said.
Sustainability has been a buzzword in real estate before but was derailed by the last recession. With fears that Brexit may lead to greater austerity and another recession, the GBC and developers will need to work hard to carry their pledges to drastically reduce carbon emissions through to reality.
what are you doing to help reduce carbon emissions? Tweet us @estatesgazette using #netzero.
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