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Task Group to take next step on zero-carbon buildings |
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5 Jun 2015, 7:30 PM
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The UK Green Building Council has launched a new Task Group to inform the upcoming zero carbon building standards and explore how the Allowable Solutions market can deliver high value carbon saving solutions in the built environment.
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The Task Group is made up of major companies challenged with delivering zero carbon non-domestic buildings from 2019 including John Lewis, Whitbread, Argent and British Land.
The policy for all new non domestic buildings to be built to zero carbon standards by 2019 was announced in 2008 (following the zero carbon homes policy for 2016 which was introduced in 2006). The announcement spurred early action within the construction industry and many companies have already started to consider and explore different approaches for achieving ‘zero carbon’ buildings, well ahead of the 2019 policy schedule.
This Task Group therefore seeks to understand the solutions and approaches industry is currently pursuing, and identify those likely to be most effective. It also aims to examine Government policy such as the Allowable Solutions framework, and establish how this can deliver reliable and high value on-site, near-site and off-site carbon savings.
The Steps to 2019: Zero carbon non-domestic Task Group is sponsored by Lafarge Tarmac and Saint Gobain.
Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, said: “The zero carbon policies for both new homes and non-domestic buildings are vital for decarbonising our building stock and meeting the UK’s climate change targets. Confirming their trajectories should be a key priority for the new Government.
“Although the policy for non-domestic buildings remains under-developed, UK-GBC members are already pushing ahead. The overwhelming response we have had to this Task Group proves how many of our members are keen to start designing and delivering zero carbon new buildings, in view of the clear business benefits.”
Julian Sutherland, Design Director for Sustainable Development at Atkins and joint Chair of the Task Group, said: “The Task Group will look at the impacts and opportunities on our journey to zero carbon buildings in 2019. I have long been a proponent of the fabric first approach, which continues to represent best value for demand reduction. High quality design solutions and demand reduction are the foundation for zero carbon buildings and will unlock the huge potential of low energy systems and Allowable Solutions.
David Mason, Senior Sustainability Manager at Skanska and joint Chair of the Task Group, said: “I am delighted to be Chairing the work on Allowable Solutions within this new Task Group. The Allowable Solutions framework will be vital to delivering the zero carbon buildings policies and it presents a huge opportunity for the industry to innovate and find new ways of delivering carbon savings in the built environment.”
The Task Group is the latest in UK-GBC’s long history of work on zero carbon buildings, and follows an earlier Task Group which reported in 2014. The report made the business case for tightening Building Regulations and the delivery of the Zero Carbon target for non-domestic buildings, and explored a long term trajectory for continued carbon reduction.
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