8 minute read
Can We Achieve Carbon Neutral?
Trevor Richards, Director of Cogent Consulting, sat down with leaders in sustainability and environmental practices to talk about net zero targets and the climate challenges facing construction professionals.
The UK is a world leader in driving carbon reduction across the built environment and is working hard to achieve its net zero emissions target by 2050 but everyone is agreed it won’t be easy. Recognising and finding ways to meet the requirements of changing regulations and policy demands is crucial in reshaping our approach to sustainability. But these changes may not come easily or quickly. The ecological clock is ticking, and we must take urgent action to mitigate the impact of global warming. So, what exactly are the obstacles holding back progress?
“I think the biggest barrier is political. It is not the only obstacle, but it is slowing us down the most.” Carla Denyer, Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, explains: “There was an interesting piece of research last year which was the largest study of its kind – a representative sample of thousands of Brits sharing opinions on different climate policies. It was remarkable how radical some of the policies at the top of the list were with a carbon tax on polluting products and services receiving 94% support. We have to be realistic, brand-new technologies will not make an immediate impact. So, it is about rolling out existing proven technologies as fast as we can. The innovation is around doing this quickly and affordably rather than inventing something new.”
It is clear from consumer research that there is a significant upturn in demand for sustainable materials and building practises. David Leversha, Director and Net Zero Lead for Property and Buildings at WSP focused on the opportunity. “What I find really interesting is that there is a real opportunity here to be seen as leaders. I think the polling was really fascinating because people want to be informed – so they can do the right thing. Some areas are moving ahead faster than others, so it is cultural change as well as strong leadership that is missing.”
Understanding Net Zero
“It is all well in good setting targets and having regulations in place, but unless we have a solution that can address it, we are not going to achieve the objective with the amount of educating we do, even within the industry on the difference between embodied and operational carbon,” added Chloe Donovan, Chief Executive for Material Research. “New graduates in architecture and subjects where you would think they would have a really good grasp of this do not necessarily understand the impact material choices have on the ultimate carbon footprint of the building.”
COME AND SEE US ON STAND F20
CONTRIBUTORS
Facilitator Trevor Richards
Director, Cogent Consulting
Kate Dougherty
Head of Sustainability and Net Zero for Building Services, WSP
Carla Denyer
Co-Leader, Green Party of England and Wales
Chloe Donovan
Chief Executive, Material Research
Oliver Novakovic
Technical and Innovation Director, Barratt Homes
Rodrigo Fernandes
Director, ES(D)G – Bentley Systems
David Leversha
Director and Net Zero Lead for Property and Buildings, WSP
Misunderstanding surrounding terms like the carbon agenda and net zero may also contribute to difficulties in creating uniformity in education and training across the sector. Clarification and a better understanding of these goals and how to achieve them are becoming increasingly vital, explains Rodrigo Fernandes, Director, ES(D)G at Bentley Systems. “One of the points is the confusion surrounding net zero. We keep talking about it, but I wonder if senior managers at construction related companies can actually define what net zero is and what they are trying to achieve? I see some businesses putting a lot of effort into communicating what they do around sustainability but without bringing that into the product, corporate, or business strategy they will be at risk. The challenges that we have in front of us in terms of sustainability also create business opportunities. So, the regulation and policies that are important should define some standardisation in terms of reporting and disclosure.”
Driving Innovation and New Skills
Circling back to the barriers to achieving sustainable goals, Carla Denyer, Green Party of England and Wales, believes part of the answer lies in the skill sets available in the workforce. Something that both government and businesses have a significant role to play. “I think the skills gap is another challenge. Finding enough people in the construction industry who know how to deliver low carbon building or retrofitting is tough, and this is an area where government has a responsibility. But the industry also has a role to play. Those businesses in a position to invest can help make training happen. We can have the technology, but if we do not have the skills to build it at scale, then we are not going to get there in time.”
So, does the answer lie in new innovation or improving existing systems? Certainly long-term, the solution must be found in both. Investment in the strategic planning and development of greener initiatives is paramount, but for rapid and immediate change, knowledge sharing remains vital.
Kate Dougherty, Head of Sustainability and Net Zero for Building Services, WSP said: “I think the UK Green Building Council, RIBA and especially the London Energy Transformation Initiative are fundamental in terms of information share, the resources they are putting out there for free are excellent. When we are talking about design and design related opportunities, it is how we filter this knowledge down into the industry. But then it is up to us as construction professionals to disseminate and make sure there is a level of understanding right throughout our organisations.” Oliver Novakovic, Technical and Innovation Director for Barratt Developments, supports this point. “We all have to make clear our criteria, objectives and drivers, so we can find the right products to meet our collective needs. I do think a lot of it is about open sourcing. We have to pool and share valuable information – government, industry consultants, advisors, universities – to really make this work, because without doubt this is an unprecedented challenge.”
The roadmap to net zero construction or even the terminology involved is yet to be clearly defined and without strong direction and leadership supported by product innovation and education to overcome the barriers, there may be deviations along the way.
For more information visit:
www.theccc.org.uk
Z HOUSE
Working with Energy House Labs, Barratt Developments has built an experimental home dubbed the Z House – the first home in the UK that takes sustainability beyond the current Future Homes Standards and is based at the University of Salford.
The Z House is based on the popular Barratt ‘Alderney’ house type and is fitted with hundreds of sensors that will record data for Energy House Labs research. It will be occupied by an academic from the University and monitored to assess its performance using the research and expertise of the University’s Energy House Laboratories. It will be the first new home in the country built by a major housebuilder to go beyond the new Future Homes Standard by delivering a carbon reduction of 125%.
It is being developed as an industry showcase home to demonstrate what is achievable, particularly from a mainstream, volume housebuilder. The new home is being built with over 40 leading industry partners from across the housebuilding, sustainability and technology sectors, all helping to broaden knowledge in zero carbon living with the lessons learnt from the construction being shared across the industry.
Z House will be constructed using offsite methods including closed panel timber frames with highly insulated cladding, factory fitted windows and panelised masonry ground floor wall panels, reducing the need for bricklayers and the time it takes to build by half. And it will include the most modern sustainable housing technology such as an air source heat pump, EV charging points, PV solar panels and battery storage. The house includes electronic taps that can reduce water usage by 80%, kitchen cabinets made using 100% recycled chipboard plus reused coconut husk material for the handles, and a smart electricity tariff which automatically shifts energy usage to access the cheapest rates.
“We want to showcase what can be done to deliver zero carbon living using the latest technologies and working with the best industry partners, says David Thomas, Chief Executive of Barratt Developments. “Ultimately, the aim is to find solutions to enable the industry to build high quality, zero carbon homes that customers love, at scale. We can then share this knowledge to help the industry deliver the future of sustainable housing.”
There will also be a dedicated knowledge and energy hub built into the garage space to display and showcase products and technologies used within the Z House. Here, visitors to the house will be able to monitor digital displays showing visuals of live energy use via a monitoring network which is built into the fabric of the home.
Professor William Swan, Director of Energy House Laboratories at The University of Salford said: “We are pleased to be working with Barratt Developments and their partners on the Z House and continue to expand the University’s ground-breaking research and innovation into low carbon technologies within the built environment sector. Our leading Energy House Laboratories are in close proximity to the house and will play a pivotal role in exploring the energy performance of this industry-first home making a vital contribution to the future of housebuilding in the UK.”
