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Hydrock joins Task Group for delivery of UK’s first Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard

22nd Nov 2022

We’re delighted to announce that our smart energy and sustainability team has been selected by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) to help steer the delivery of the UK's first Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.

Leading industry organisations BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, IStructE, LETI, RIBA, RICS, and UKGBC have joined forces to champion this initiative.

From a pool of more than 850 applications, our Principal Sustainability Consultant and Lead Carbon Verifier, Matthew Pygott, has been selected to join the delivery team as part of one of its special task groups.

The standard will set out metrics by which net zero carbon performance is evaluated, as well as performance targets that need to be met before, finally, verification. These are likely to include energy use, upfront embodied carbon and lifecycle embodied carbon. It will also cover the approach to carbon accounting, procuring renewable energy and the treatment of residual emissions, including ‘offsetting’ carbon.

Matthew said:

“We’re inundated with requests from clients to verify net zero buildings and we recognise it’s becoming a real industry preoccupation. A great example is the Zeal Hotel project which we’re consulting and verifying to net zero. It’s been challenging to follow a structured verification around this as, currently, only guidance is available - so we need to use our bespoke verification approach. I’m delighted to bring my experience, including from live projects at Hydrock, to help shape the approach to achieving net zero across new and existing buildings. ”

Performance targets will align with science-based trajectories needed to achieve net zero by 2050 and a 78% reduction by 2035 in the UK.

Matthew will be part of Task Group 3 (Reporting, Disclosure and Verification), which will be responsible for defining the terminology, scope and boundary of any net zero claims. It will also agree the approach and requirements for verifying net zero carbon claims in line with these definitions, along with developing guidance on the reporting and disclosure of such information.

The output will be for developers, contractors, asset owners and managers, occupiers, investors, financiers and funders, consultants, building industry professionals, building managers and product/material manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors.

Matthew added:

“This is for anyone who wants to either fund, procure, design or specify a net zero carbon building and anyone wanting to demonstrate that their building is net zero aligned with an industry-agreed standard.”

To help the development of the standard, UKGBC is calling on industry practitioners to share embodied carbon and in-use operational energy performance data for their buildings.

Visit our carbon verification and validation page for more details about how we can help you achieve your decarbonisation targets.