Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 30
30
Deferred
Paragraph: 166
There is availability of low-carbon and recycled building products to meet current demand, however there...
Conclusion
There is availability of low-carbon and recycled building products to meet current demand, however there are insufficient incentives for product manufacturers to develop new low-carbon materials and for developers and designers to use these products. The Government has invested in initiatives and programmes, set out in the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, to encourage the development and use of low-carbon materials. This is welcome; but as there is no requirement to conduct whole-life carbon assessments of building projects, there remain limited incentives to reduce the embodied carbon of building projects and thus develop and use low- carbon materials.
Government Response Summary
The government intends to consult on interventions to mainstream the measurement of embodied carbon in the built environment in 2023, noting that WLCAs can only be successfully implemented as part of a broader effort to decarbonise industrial supply chains. They are also developing policies in this area, including product standards, product labelling, and public and private procurement initiatives.
Paragraph Reference:
166
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
As outlined in our response to Recommendation 7, after further research and stakeholder engagement, we intend to consult on our approach and interventions to mainstream the measurement of embodied carbon in the built environment in 2023. We believe, as the committee does, that widespread use of WLCAs would likely provide incentives for industry to develop and use low carbon materials. However, it is important to note that WLCAs can only be successfully implemented if done so as part of a broader effort by Government and industry to decarbonise industrial supply chains and improve product- level carbon data. industrial products to grow, such as clearer labelling and standards. In December last year, we launched a Call for Evidence: ‘Towards a market for low emissions industrial products.’ We have set out plans to develop policies in this area, including product standards, product labelling, and public and private procurement initiatives. The Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy sets out an indicative timeline for introducing these policies, with new policies in place by the mid-2020s.