Jerome Mayhew is the MP for Broadland and Mark Allan is the CEO of Landsec.
The UK is a global leader in tackling climate change. We have collectively made great strides in decarbonising sectors all across society, including energy, transport, hospitality, and aviation.
The built environment is one such sector. However, there is still a way to go in driving down carbon emissions. Two-thirds of our lives are spent in urban environments, and approximately 90 per cent of our lives indoors. Building and construction currently account for around 25 per cent of UK carbon emissions. Reducing carbon emissions within this sector should be a national priority, which is why we need greater government support in regulating and reducing embodied carbon in UK buildings.
The Carbon Emissions (Buildings) Bill, recently reintroduced to Parliament, has called for the introduction of the reporting of whole-life carbon emissions and embodied carbon emissions limits in construction. As we move closer to our net zero 2050 target, it is disheartening to see that the Government has not thrown its weight behind the Bill. It has support from the industry and across parties.
It is our joint responsibility that we do all we can to reduce carbon emissions and, by working collaboratively, we can decarbonise in a way that is both pro-growth and pro-business. A united approach is needed to deliver the progress that ensures that the planet is protected for future generations.
Leading developers across the country, including Landsec, are now working hard against an ambitious science-based carbon reduction target and transitioning to net zero quicker than required. But more can still be done.
Whilst there is drive and commitment across the sector, intervention from the top to create a clear policy environment is necessary to ensure best practice can be reflected across the industry: not just by larger developers but also those smaller businesses with limited resources
A recent report from the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) from my colleague Philip Dunne came to the same conclusions earlier this summer. Alongside this, the Bill and the developers all echo the same sentiment: a whole-life carbon approach is fundamental to reducing lifetime emissions, while also enabling more accurate target setting for carbon reductions.
This will drive action throughout the supply chain to decarbonise processes and construction materials, and help the country move towards net zero and reach those vital targets sooner rather than later. We agree with the EAC that the single most significant policy the Government could introduce is a mandatory requirement to assess embodied carbon in buildings as this is space very lightly regulated at present.
The Government can still do this by amending Buildings Regulations – the framework responsible for ensuring that we are building safely and sustainably – and enshrining in law the commitment to shaping the future of net zero by reducing carbon emissions effectively.
We disagree with the Government that passing this vital piece of legislation would negatively impact the housing supply and the wider economy. This Bill would boost UK construction whilst driving down greenhouse gas emissions, which is key to delivering UK growth in a manner aligned with the country’s net zero targets.
This needs to be a priority for the Prime Minister. As it currently stands, the industry and Parliamentarians are united on this front and are ready to work together with the Government to drive forward in reducing emissions. Decarbonisation is a necessity, not a choice.
Jerome Mayhew is the MP for Broadland and Mark Allan is the CEO of Landsec.
The UK is a global leader in tackling climate change. We have collectively made great strides in decarbonising sectors all across society, including energy, transport, hospitality, and aviation.
The built environment is one such sector. However, there is still a way to go in driving down carbon emissions. Two-thirds of our lives are spent in urban environments, and approximately 90 per cent of our lives indoors. Building and construction currently account for around 25 per cent of UK carbon emissions. Reducing carbon emissions within this sector should be a national priority, which is why we need greater government support in regulating and reducing embodied carbon in UK buildings.
The Carbon Emissions (Buildings) Bill, recently reintroduced to Parliament, has called for the introduction of the reporting of whole-life carbon emissions and embodied carbon emissions limits in construction. As we move closer to our net zero 2050 target, it is disheartening to see that the Government has not thrown its weight behind the Bill. It has support from the industry and across parties.
It is our joint responsibility that we do all we can to reduce carbon emissions and, by working collaboratively, we can decarbonise in a way that is both pro-growth and pro-business. A united approach is needed to deliver the progress that ensures that the planet is protected for future generations.
Leading developers across the country, including Landsec, are now working hard against an ambitious science-based carbon reduction target and transitioning to net zero quicker than required. But more can still be done.
Whilst there is drive and commitment across the sector, intervention from the top to create a clear policy environment is necessary to ensure best practice can be reflected across the industry: not just by larger developers but also those smaller businesses with limited resources
A recent report from the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) from my colleague Philip Dunne came to the same conclusions earlier this summer. Alongside this, the Bill and the developers all echo the same sentiment: a whole-life carbon approach is fundamental to reducing lifetime emissions, while also enabling more accurate target setting for carbon reductions.
This will drive action throughout the supply chain to decarbonise processes and construction materials, and help the country move towards net zero and reach those vital targets sooner rather than later. We agree with the EAC that the single most significant policy the Government could introduce is a mandatory requirement to assess embodied carbon in buildings as this is space very lightly regulated at present.
The Government can still do this by amending Buildings Regulations – the framework responsible for ensuring that we are building safely and sustainably – and enshrining in law the commitment to shaping the future of net zero by reducing carbon emissions effectively.
We disagree with the Government that passing this vital piece of legislation would negatively impact the housing supply and the wider economy. This Bill would boost UK construction whilst driving down greenhouse gas emissions, which is key to delivering UK growth in a manner aligned with the country’s net zero targets.
This needs to be a priority for the Prime Minister. As it currently stands, the industry and Parliamentarians are united on this front and are ready to work together with the Government to drive forward in reducing emissions. Decarbonisation is a necessity, not a choice.