Zero Carbon is being very much driven at industry level, but is not supported enough at government level through mandatory compliance with zero carbon building regulations. Take current building regulations for instance.
A: The proposed Part Z of the Building Regulations focuses on embodied carbon. It goes without saying that we cannot deliver Net Zero carbon buildings without understanding and reducing embodied carbon.
By 2030, UK building regulations are going to require all new builds and any major reworks to be net zero carbon. Some local authorities are jumping ahead with even stricter local planning rules.
This particular example perfectly highlights why Zero Carbon Building Regulations is so captivating.
Unclear regulations. While government policy focuses on legislating for energy efficiency in buildings, it has fallen short of providing clear regulations or definitions for net zero carbon buildings.
If embodied carbon is not brought into the equation and into regulation, the goal of true zero carbon homes will remain out of reach. The solution is clear: measure everything, reduce everything, and build smarter from the start.
Similarly, 13 cities are currently introducing zero-carbon building regulations, which must increase to 26 cities within two years. Johannesburgs first-in-Africa Green Building Policy could be replicated in a variety of urban contexts and go a long way towards helping meet a 1.5C target.
![[Call for evidence] UK’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard | GlobalABC - Zero Carbon Building Regulations](https://globalabc.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/UK’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.png "[Call for evidence] UK’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard | GlobalABC")
