The UK’s whole life carbon ecosystem: a framework for decarbonising the built environment

Overview

There is no single tool that can solve the question of how to rapidly and effectively decarbonise the built environment. Research indicates using a mix of interventions - or ‘ecosystem’ of instruments – is most effective in tackling the different parts of the problem.

In the UK, four interconnected initiatives are taking shape as the building blocks of this ecosystem for the built environment. Covering consistent measurement, mandatory assessment, building standards and industry data sharing and benchmarking, these interventions are advancing progress towards whole life carbon reduction:

• The RICS Professional Standard on Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment
• The Part Z proposal for Building Regulations
• The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard
• The Built Environment Carbon Database
  
  

Bringing together a panel of experts, this webinar will examine the aim of each initiative and their interconnections. As an example of a country-level approach to tackle decarbonisation, the panel will assess the ways this ecosystem of instruments is designed to overcome specific barriers to decarbonisation in the built environment, and ways these instruments will impact the UK industry going forward. 

Panellists:

• Fabrizio Varriale, Built Environment Analyst, RICS (moderator)
• Will Arnold, Head of Climate Action, IStructE
• James Fiske, Chief Executive Officer, BCIS
• Julie Godefroy, Head of Net Zero, CIBSE
• Anil Sawhney FRICS, Head of Sustainability, RICS