Sustainability in construction is an ever-present topic that impacts every part of the sector’s ecosystem. Catch up on key developments in sustainability from the NBS Construction Leaders’ Summit 2023.
Of all industries in the UK, construction has arguably the most vital role to play in reducing carbon emissions and adopting sustainable practices. The built environment currently contributes 40% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, and the construction sector as a whole is responsible for around 11% of global emissions. To align with net zero targets, the industry needs to change fast.
In his “Delivering a Sustainable Future” talk at the Construction Leaders’ Summit 2023, Gary Clark made it clear that both manufacturers and specifiers can no longer spend time planning or delaying net zero strategies to a future date:
“We know what needs to be done. It’s about delivering it now. There’s no time to waste.”
To drive change across the sector, Leading organisations BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, IStructE, LETI, RIBA, RICS, and UKGBC have joined forces to champion this initiative to create the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard. It will provide measurements to help assess carbon performance and will affect existing and new buildings.
RIBA sets early standards
The standard is not yet in effect, but RIBA has already set eight sustainable outcomes in 2019 that have helped shape how construction businesses must address their environmental impact. These are:
- Operational energy use
- Embodied carbon
- Sustainable water cycle
- Sustainable connectivity and transport
- Sustainable land use and ecology
- Good health and wellbeing
- Sustainable communities & social value
- Sustainable life cycle cost
Each of these areas will be measured with applicable metrics such as kWh/m2/y for operational energy use. If you’d like to find out more about any of these areas or the associated metrics, The RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide is a free download.
Sustainability as a core approach
The sustainable outcomes defined by RIBA help illustrate the notion that sustainability is not just about a single CO2e metric and includes many other forms of environmental impact. Both architects and manufacturers need to account for each of these outcomes across the entire lifecycle of a project.
“You start off with your outcomes. What does this client want? What do they want the building to do? Then you set these goals and embed them into the strategies and design principles of the project.”
In his presentation, Gary reminded everyone that incorporating sustainability standards into projects from the beginning needs to happen sooner rather than later if we are to achieve anything near RIBA’s 2025 targets or 2030 goals. Targets differ based on the end-use of the building, so depending on which project you’re working on, you’ll need to adopt more intensive carbon reduction strategies.
For example, under the ‘operational efficiency’ outcome in the domestic and residential sectors, current business as usual metrics are set at 120 kWh/m2/y. 2025’s targets are < 60 kWh/m2/y and 2030’s are an even more ambitious < 35 kWh/m2/y. If these goals are to be met, change must begin now.
These targets should be agreed upon from the outset of a project and is the responsibility of the whole team, without placing undue pressure on a single role:
“At the beginning of the project with your client or your contractor, you set these targets and agree on them. A no-blame culture helps get the best out of teams.”
After sharing some examples of buildings that have already achieved the kind of carbon reductions required to align with Net Zero targets, Gary touched on the common misconceptions around cost:
“So this argument that Net Zero is going to cost more, I think, is debunked. [...] If you get the right team together and work together to integrate this into the fabric of the building, you can achieve great things at no extra cost.”
Specifying for sustainability
As a final example of sustainability at the specification stage, Gary discussed the recently approved plan for constructing the new Keystone Building for the University of Glasgow. The 26,000-square-metre building will host three separate functions and boast two courtyards, all combined to provide educational space for up to 6,000 students. From the project's outset, workshops were held to set environmental targets based on RIBA’s sustainable outcomes.
The team conducted various studies, such as daylight measurement to determine the requirements to reach their goals. This meant the team could produce both a standard specification which included ‘green spec’ requirements, which suppliers could then quote against.
A step-by-step for specifiers and manufacturers to follow
As a recap at the end of his presentation, Gary shared this useful list of climate change actions that all industry professionals should be aware of and potentially implement into their own workflows. This applies to both construction manufacturers and how they plan, design, source and build as well as architects in how they approach projects, choose products and write specifications:
- Agree sustainable outcomes: set metrics at the outset
- Circular economy: retrofit, recycle and design for disassembly
- Design for Net Zero performance: measurement and verification
- Increase bio-diversity: aim for 20% net biodiversity gain
- Low embodied carbon and healthy materials: local, long life, robust and recycled
- Well building principles: daylight, air quality, acoustics, contact to nature
- Passive design: fabric first and Passivhaus level of envelope performance
- Regenerative engineering: working with natural systems
- Non-fossil fuels: all electric PV, heat pumps, etc
- Plan for use: design for closing the loop and POE aftercare
Architects are now faced with immediate pressure to account for sustainability. Manufacturers will play a key role in helping alleviate this pressure by designing more eco-friendly products and helping make sustainable specification easier.
If you’re a manufacturer, the more you’re able to understand and implement these sustainability approaches into your products, the better you’ll be able to assist architects in meeting carbon reduction goals. We’d encourage everyone to review Gary’s full presentation here.
To build sustainability into the core of every construction project, you need digital innovation. Manufacturers can use NBS Source to clearly display their product data, establish energy performance and collaborate directly on specifications. Architects and engineers can use NBS Chorus to streamline project design and product selection – utilising a comprehensive digital library of products complete with technical data, BIM objects and the ability to get expert technical support in writing specifications from the manufacturers themselves.
Whether you’re a specifier who wants to implement evidence-based sustainable products into your designs or a manufacturer looking to reach more forward-thinking architects, NBS can help.
