Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee

Sustainability of the built environment

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Mar 2021 Closed: 26 Jan 2023 29 recommendations 19 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry will examine the sustainability of the built environment. It will look at the best routes to net zero for our future building needs from low carbon materials through to policies to minimise the whole life carbon impact of new buildings. Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry.

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
First report - Building to net zero: costing carbon in cons…	HC 103	26 May 2022	48	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items

8 Recommendation First report - Building to net zero: co… Rejected

The timeline for the Future Homes Standard should be brought forward to December 2023 to...

The timeline for the Future Homes Standard should be brought forward to December 2023 to align the timeframes for addressing operational and embodied carbon. This will help provide the industry with the confidence it requires to construct low- carbon, energy efficient buildings.

Government response. The government will not alter the timeframe for the Future Homes Standard (2025), stating it delivers on net zero commitments while ensuring new homes are delivered. However, they are accelerating work on a full technical specification for the Future Homes …

34 Conclusion First report - Building to net zero: co… Rejected

Public procurement policy which mandates the completion of whole-life carbon assessments could kick-start the market...

Public procurement policy which mandates the completion of whole-life carbon assessments could kick-start the market for low-carbon construction. In time, a low- carbon standard for public works projects would help to remove the data barriers to establishing this market. The introduction of a Procurement Bill in the 2022– 23 Session …

Government response. The government states that while the Procurement Bill offers an opportunity to reform procurement rules, it does not include specific provisions on the target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and it would not be appropriate to include …

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions

Date	Witnesses
19 Jan 2022	Adam Mactavish · Currie & Brown, Alexia Laird · Landsec, Catherine Adams · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Damitha Adikaari · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Eddie Hughes · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, The Lord Callanan · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy	View ↗
17 Nov 2021	Dr Joe Jack Williams · Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Elaine Toogood · MPA The Concrete Centre, Louisa Bowles · LETI (London Energy Transformation Initiative), Michael H. Ramage · Centre for Natural Material Innovation, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge, Rhian Williams · Greater London Authority, Sam Liptrott · OFR Consultants, Fire and Risk Consultants, Will Arnold · The Institution of Structural Engineers	View ↗
20 Oct 2021	Caterina Brandmayr · Green Alliance, Dr Alice Moncaster · The Open University, Dr Alice Owen · University of Leeds, Dr Jannik Giesekam · University of Strathclyde, Peter Conboy · igloo Regeneration Ltd, Robert Lambe · Chartered Institute of Building	View ↗
14 Jul 2021	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley · The University of Sheffield, Dr Tia Kansara · Kansara Hackney Ltd, Emily Huynh · UK Green Building Council, Jane Anderson · The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP), Ms Phoebe MacDonald · Royal Institute of British Architects, The Rt Hon. the Lord Deben · Climate Change Committee	View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters

Date	Direction	Title
27 Oct 2022	To cttee	Letter from the Minister of State for Local Government, Department for Levellin…
30 Sep 2022	—	Chair to Secretaries of State BEIS and LUHC re: Sustainability of the built env…