Goodbye to the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Greenwash?

As industrial specialists, we’re always eager to share our insights and experience in this diverse sector and welcomed the opportunity to join the panel at the inaugural Place Yorkshire Industrial & Logistics Conference in Leeds. The event provided a valuable platform to engage with a wide range of voices and to discuss key topics facing the industry. Calling on my expertise as Head of Sustainability at AEW, this included the pilot release of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard and the upcoming BREEAM updates.

The new Pilot UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard aims to provide a rigorous definition of ‘Net Zero Carbon’ buildings to address the greenwashing stemming from inconsistent and non-robust methodologies currently in use. BREEAM is also set for a major revision in the new year, making 2025 a landmark year in terms of aligning project design and evaluation with the UK’s climate objectives.

For those unable to attend the conference and keen to hear more on the above, I’ve outlined my thoughts and insights below.

The Problem

The UK Green Building Council’s 2019 Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework was a pivotal step in highlighting the critical requirements for achieving Net Zero Carbon in construction. However, the absence of clearly defined minimum performance standards has led to a ‘wild west’ situation, where many buildings falsely claim Net Zero Carbon status despite adhering only to standard practices, often relying on renewable energy and carbon offsets rather than genuine performance improvements.

BREEAM has similarly faced challenges, traditionally focusing on the design process over actual building performance. While following proper processes is important, the limited emphasis on tangible performance outcomes has encouraged evaluations driven more by achieving credits than by genuinely influencing design. This approach often dilutes value for clients.

On our Cheadle Eco Business Park project for Stockport Council, we are striving to align with the emerging UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standards and are targeting BREEAM Outstanding status. However, we’ve observed that the most effective measures for reducing embodied carbon have had surprisingly little impact on the BREEAM score.

The Solution

Reassuringly, things are set to change in the industry, with major changes underway to help tackle these longstanding problems.

After more than two years of development, the pilot version of the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard was released in September. The Standard was developed collaboratively across industries, and I am one of 350 experts contributing to its ongoing development, having witnessed the critical need for clarity and accountability in our built environment. Moving forward the Standard will provide a thorough guide for calculating carbon impacts and includes sector-specific performance targets for both carbon and energy, aligning with a science-based trajectory to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The standard is freely available and clearly defines what ‘Net Zero Carbon’ entails for buildings in the UK. It addresses both operational and embodied carbon impacts, establishing benchmarks for new constructions and retrofits that align with the UK’s carbon budgets in pursuit of net zero by 2050.

With BREEAM v7 launching in early 2025, energy and carbon performance will also receive heightened recognition. As a result, projects meeting the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard will gain additional BREEAM points, allowing clients to achieve recognition for operational energy efficiency, embodied carbon reduction, and overall sustainability.

Summary

In summary, my key take-aways are:

• 2025 is set to be a transformative year for the industry in terms of aligning project design and evaluation with the UK’s climate objectives.
• The UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard Pilot was released in September 2024 and provides clear guidance for performance expectations on new builds and retrofits targeting net zero carbon. You can download the documents for free here.
• The Standard will be vital in combatting misleading Net Zero claims that rely only on carbon offsets.
• BREEAM v7 will launch in early 2025 and will better reward operational energy and embodied carbon performance.
• Truly Net Zero Carbon buildings will receive enhanced recognition within the BREEAM framework.

If you’d like to arrange a Knowledge Share Session to explore the implications of the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard or BREEAM v7 for your business or your projects, please do not hesitate to get in touch.