IStructE – a founding member of the group that led the creation of the Standard – has welcomed the pilot version. It has contributed its climate emergency and governance expertise to help create a consistent and unified industry approach to defining net-zero built assets.
The Standard is innovative, providing a clear path to meet the built environment industry’s net zero carbon commitments, based on a carbon budget trajectory to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
It is an important industry-first initiative that brings a single, agreed technical methodology to help the sector develop and deliver net-zero buildings, setting out carbon and energy limits aligned with the UK’s legal requirements to meet net zero by 2050.
Will Arnold, IStructE’s Head of Climate Action, says: “For the first time, the construction industry has a collaboratively developed definition of how a building must perform if it is to claim to be aligned with Net Zero. It is the only Standard like this in the world, and its ambition raises the bar as to what we expect from sustainable urban development in the UK.”
Patrick Hayes, IStructE’s Technical Director, adds: “I pay tribute to all of the Institution’s members who have volunteered extensive time and expertise to the development of the Standard. This truly is a Standard produced by the industry, for the industry. We look forward to stewarding and developing the Standard into the future in response to industry action.”
Collective adoption of the Standard is imperative if the UK’s built environment is to bring its carbon emissions within limits aligned with a 1.5 degree trajectory. Using the Standard brings transparency, consistency and accountability to the industry’s approach to decarbonisation.
IStructE encourages early implementation to test the pilot on projects being developed and operated today, and points to its guidance such as Design for Zero and Circular Economy and Reuse as providing the tools to help meet the Standard’s carbon limits.
