A recent report from the office space industry regulator has suggested that while progress is being made in developing ‘greener’ buildings across Britain, much more still needs to be done.
In response to the latest RICS Global Zero Carbon Capacity Index, head of research at the institution, Stephen Brown, said: “Governments must provide incentives and implement initiatives to create a zero-carbon built environment.”
“The [UK] government should consider cutting VAT on building materials for repair and renovation to five per cent to stimulate the growth of sustainable buildings,” he added.
According to the RICS index, Norway and Brazil are making the most rapid progress in developing more environmentally friendly buildings, with the UK currently ranked third.
Professor Yvonne Rydin, from the University of Central London, authored the recent study, and she was keen to make clear that developers of all different kinds of property, from office space to leisure centres, have a responsibility to help the UK cut the level of carbon emissions that result from its built environments.
“Our homes, shops, offices, factories and leisure centres all need to make their contribution to the climate change agenda,” she said.
Last week, as part of an ongoing environmental efficiency drive, the Ministry of Defence revealed that the new office space for its King’s Troop regiment in London will be partly powered by recycled horse manure from the 170 or so animals in its ranks.
Editor’s notes: Since this article was published in 2010, international treaties and initiatives, with the most important being the Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015, have been agreed upon with the aim of restricting the impact of global warming by reducing and mitigating carbon emissions.
And at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, pledges from 153 countries meant that over 90 per cent of the world’s GDP was covered by commitments to achieve net zero by 2050, reverse deforestation, and move away from coal.
In March 2023, the RICS reached out to its 130,000 members worldwide, as well as those working in the built environment, to provide feedback for the Professional Standard RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment.
The methodology was adopted by several governments, leading industry bodies and supranational organisations, including the World Economic Forum.
The institution wished to update the RICS Standard to provide a more consistent approach to calculating whole-life carbon emissions within the built environment. This new standard extended to cover all built assets and infrastructure throughout the whole built environment life cycle.
The RICS recognised that the built environment contributes to 43 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions when taking into account vehicle use, and that making reductions within the industry was vital for protecting the earth from its impact and helping the world reach its net carbon zero targets.
In September 2023, the RICS advised that when completing a whole life carbon assessment, its members should follow the RICS whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) standard, 2nd edition, which would come into effect from 1 July 2024.