Recommendations & Conclusions
20 items
1
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
There is no Government policy requiring the assessment or control of embodied carbon emissions from buildings. As a result, no progress has been made in reducing these emissions within the built environment. This inaction remains despite the built environment making up 25 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas …
Government response. The government acknowledges the lack of policy and highlights existing decarbonisation strategies and the intention to explore a maximum embodied carbon level for new buildings.
2
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
A broad cross-section of the construction industry is willing and able to undertake whole-life carbon assessments. In the absence of an approved UK national methodology, the RICS Professional Statement on WLC is used as the accepted industry methodology for WLC assessments. Alongside this, various further guidance and software tools have …
Government response. The government agrees that a standardized method of calculation is required to consistently assess embodied carbon, and will look at whether Government endorsement of specific standards, methodologies or tools for assessing whole life carbon is appropriate.
3
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy is currently considering the possibility of funding an update of the RICS methodology. This update is intended to make the methodology more accessible and more transparent thus addressing the concerns raised by Ministers to us about the RICS methodology. Once the national …
Government response. The government understands the importance of a consistent methodology for reporting whole-life carbon and welcomes plans to update and expand the RICS Professional Statement, with government officials continuing to contribute to this activity.
4
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
The UK is slipping behind comparator countries in Europe in monitoring and controlling the embodied carbon in construction. If the UK continues to drag its feet on embodied carbon, it will not meet net zero or its carbon budgets. There is significant opportunity for the UK to learn from emerging …
Government response. The government acknowledges that some countries in Europe have started legislating whole life carbon assessments and will review the different methodologies employed by these countries, and monitor the impact of their implementation, to help inform future policy-making.
5
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
Local authorities are mandating WLC assessments of their own accord. Evidence so far shows that the policy is achievable and is working, with few barriers to its introduction. Introducing mandatory WLC assessments for buildings could be an easy way for the Government to dramatically reduce carbon in construction. The industry …
Government response. The government acknowledges calls for a clearer timeline for mainstreaming assessment, management, and reduction of embodied carbon, stating they are engaging with stakeholders, watching the GLA's requirements, and looking at international policy examples to build a robust evidence base.
11
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
In our view, the RICS Professional Statement on whole-life carbon assessments is fit for use and already familiar to UK industry. We recommend that, as soon as possible following promulgation of the planned update of the Statement, the Government should seek to establish the RICS methodology as the UK industry …
Government response. The government recognizes the importance of a standardised method of calculation for assessing embodied carbon and commends industry for developing standards like BS EN 15978, PAS2080 and the RICS Professional Statement. The government will look at whether endorsement of specific …
16
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
We recommend that the Government investigate possible ways, beyond public procurement, to incentivise the use of low-carbon cement to ensure that these cement alternatives become the product type of choice by 2030. This should include an assessment of the feasibility of restricting the disposal of a range of waste products, …
Government response. The Government will work with manufacturers through the GCB to understand the opportunities and barriers to decarbonise cement manufacture, as well as individual manufacturer plans, for policy development.
18
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
Mandating whole-life carbon assessments for buildings, as we have already recommended, would be a simple, material neutral way of encouraging the greater reuse and recycling of steel components.
Government response. The government acknowledges that WLCAs may increase awareness of recycling and reuse rates, and states they would like to increase their understanding of the potential impact through further evidence gathering.
20
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
Significant obstacles to the uptake of timber products in construction remain. These include issues regarding fire risk and insurance, price volatility, securing sustainable and local supply chains, and addressing skills gaps in the use of timber. The Government has made little progress in addressing these barriers since the Climate Change …
Government response. The government acknowledges the obstacles to timber uptake and highlights the establishment of a Timber in Construction Working Group to design a policy roadmap, expected by the end of 2023.
22
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
Whilst timber is often the most appropriate material to use to lower the embodied carbon of a building project, it cannot be assumed that this will always be the case. Timber use, from appropriate sources, should be verified as the best whole-life carbon answer to a given construction project, in …
Government response. The government recognizes the importance of a whole life carbon approach when using timber in construction and encourages the industry to use the most appropriate low carbon materials and to produce efficient low-carbon designs. They also state that the Timber …
26
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
There is a lack of Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) data for a wide range of materials, limiting the ability of developers to choose low-carbon materials. The UK is falling behind European counterparts where EPD data is far more widely available, resulting in developers choosing European materials over locally sourced UK …
Government response. The government acknowledges the lack of EPD data and highlights the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy and the Call for Evidence to develop policy proposals for low emissions industrial products, with a consultation planned by the end of 2022.
27
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
The Government should encourage development of a centralised national database of EPDs and, through its own procurement practices require the collection and publication of EPDs. The EPD database should be digital, freely available to end users, and user-friendly.
Government response. The government is considering evidence from a Call for Evidence on how an emissions reporting system should be designed and implemented, and is participating in the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI), which encourages the use of consistent reporting standards. The …
28
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
To limit ‘greenwashing’, the Government should introduce measures requiring suppliers who wish to make an environmental claim about a construction product to produce an EPD to substantiate it. (Paragraph 164) Building to net zero: costing carbon in construction 69
Government response. The government is aware of measures in other jurisdictions that put an obligation on manufacturers to substantiate environmental claims and is considering this as it prepares to consult on a range of domestic measures, including emissions reporting and disclosure, by …
31
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
In our view, the most effective way overall to encourage resource efficiency and the development and use of low-carbon materials, whether low-carbon concrete, steel, timber, or any other material, is to establish a mandatory requirement to measure whole-life carbon and introduce progressively more stringent carbon targets on buildings.
Government response. The government acknowledges the important role that measuring whole-life carbon can play. They state that they will consult on their approach and proposals to mainstream the measurement and management of embodied carbon in 2023.
32
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
The Government should also issue its response to the consultation on the draft Waste Prevention Programme for England: Towards a Resource-Efficient Economy not later than the date the House rises for the 2022 summer recess. This will be over a year since the consultation closed. Industry and stakeholders require clear …
Government response. The new Waste Prevention Programme is being revised following consultation in 2021, and publication is expected later in 2022. There will be further engagement on individual policies set out in the Programme.
33
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
The Government has committed to using public procurement to drive demand for low-carbon industrial products and expects whole-life carbon assessments to be undertaken in respect of all public works projects. The extent to which this expectation is met, and the impact it has had on procurement practice, is unclear. Guidance …
Government response. The government acknowledges the lack of clarity and highlights the UK's work with the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI) to establish common principles for whole life carbon and reporting of public construction.
38
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
Retrofit and reuse of existing buildings, where practicable, should be prioritised over new build to conserve resources, minimise embodied carbon emissions, reduce demolition waste and deliver cost-effective solutions to delivering on housing demand. Local authorities and housing developers are expected to balance multiple objectives when meeting housing needs, and therefore …
Government response. The government reiterates its commitment to upgrading homes to EPC Band C by 2035 where practical and has committed £6.6 billion to support upgrading the energy efficiency of existing homes, while also mentioning permitted development rights and their review.
40
Conclusion
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
We welcome the steps taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to address the inequity in the VAT regime between new build and retrofit. We nevertheless note that this differential treatment will expire in 2027 and is limited in scope, covering only Energy Saving Materials rather than broader aspects of …
Government response. The government acknowledges the VAT inequity and highlights existing reduced VAT rates for certain residential renovations. Extending this to all property renovations would cost £3.75 billion per year.
41
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
We recommend that Ministers evaluate the impact of the time-limited zero- rate of VAT for the installation of certain Energy Saving Materials well before its expiry date of 2027, with a view to extending the provision beyond 2027 if it has made a demonstrable and positive contribution to meeting carbon …
Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of ESMs, but states that further changes to VAT would require careful consideration and consultation to ensure value for money and prevent unintended behavioral effects, in the context of over £50 Billion of requests for …
48
Recommendation
First report - Building to net zero: co…
Acknowledged
Alongside a mandatory requirement to undertake whole-life carbon assessments and a national methodology for assessments, the Government should make training 72 Building to net zero: costing carbon in construction in undertaking whole-life carbon assessments accessible across all levels of education and the entire supply chain. The Government, in response to …
Government response. The government is reforming the skills system to create more routes into skilled employment and employers are at the heart of these reforms. They are using existing programmes to support construction skills and working alongside industry to ensure that their …