Developing the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard
Fiona Mckay
As the global push to address the Climate Crisis continues, the UK construction industry is working towards a more sustainable built environment with the development of a new UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (NZCBS). The aim is to bring the wider industry together around a unified methodology - defining Net Zero Carbon for the UK, as well as agreeing what metrics will be used to measure buildings and what boundaries must be set for how they are measured (e.g, time, physical extent, activities etc.).
On Tuesday the 6th of December, Dr. Simon Hatherly, an architect, researcher and sustainable design specialists at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, spoke to members of the AIA UK about the emerging standard and his experience as a member of the development team. The standard will be an industry driven, science-based framework for Net Zero Carbon and the team hope that might help influence policy at the local and national level and guide designers, builders and governments alike as they pursue a sustainable built environment.
The standard is still in progress, due to be launched in late 2023, and there is currently an open Call for Evidence from the sector groups looking to compile data from example projects. For more information on the Call for Evidence, now extended to 11 January 2023, please see the NZCBS website here. If you missed the lunchtime lecture and want to catch-up, a recording is available here.
Written by: Katharine Storr, AIA
