The UK government has committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and, alongside this, build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s. Government policy and regulation can help set the direction of travel in decarbonising new homes, however recent updates to the Future Buildings Standard and Heat and Buildings Strategy demonstrate that increased ambition from industry is required. Existing homes are already responsible for 16% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, and so new homes in design today must go beyond current building regulations to be compatible with the UK’s net zero target.

Guide to delivering new net zero carbon homes

Developers and housebuilders are aware that the design, construction and operation of new homes must change significantly in order to deliver them as net zero carbon, however the exact nature of these changes remains unclear. UKGBC published the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition in 2019 to build industry consensus on what constitutes a net zero carbon building and, for new homes, additional detail can now be layered onto the framework to provide further definition. This includes outlining what should be delivered at handover stage to ensure a home is ‘enabled’ as net zero carbon in operation and applying industry-developed ‘targets’ (RIBA and LETI) to inform the level of performance expected.

Case study for low carbon residential developments

UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmapstates that embodied carbon emissions will make up over half of built environment emissions by 2035. Some residential developers are beginning to assess the embodied carbon from new homes, yet the embodied carbon from the development or masterplan works – including roads, utilities and energy infrastructure – which consume large amounts of construction materials, is typically overlooked. Uncovering these impacts can reveal opportunities for ‘quick wins’ to reduce embodied carbon and, in parallel, help to deliver biodiversity net gain and improved resident amenity.  

Launch event 

This event will see the launch of two resources: 

1. Introduction to new net zero carbon homes – providing the industry with clarity key considerations when designing and delivering new net zero carbon homes.  
2. Case study for low carbon residential developments – based on a real-world, low rise residential scheme that is currently going through the planning process.  

At the event, attendees will gain insights into key learnings from each resource, which can then be used to help lay the foundation for delivering new net zero carbon homes, alongside low carbon residential developments.  

This event is the first in a two part series – a follow-up event later in 2022 will examine the real-world design and cost implications for practically delivering new zero carbon homes. 

Speakers

• Andy Sharpe, Director of Project Management - Strategic Land, Grosvenor
• Oliver Novakovic, Technical & Innovation Director, Barratt Homes
• Martha Dillon, Sustainability Engineer, Buro Happold
• Jenny Holland, Public Affairs & Policy Specialist, UKGBC
• Karl Desai, Senior Advisor – Advancing Net Zero, UKGBC
• Clara Sibaud, Project Coordinator - Advancing Net Zero, UKGBC