The UK’s first cross-industry standard for net zero carbon buildings has been launched, designed to help the built environment sector meet national climate targets by providing a clear, unified definition and method for verifying net zero carbon alignment. 

This pioneering standard applies to all major building types and serves as a guide for those funding, designing, or demonstrating net zero carbon buildings. Key aspects of the standard include ambitious, yet achievable, requirements for building performance and construction quality, addressing topics like upfront carbon, operational energy, fossil fuel avoidance, and renewable energy integration.

The current pilot version provides technical guidelines, including specific targets and limits, evidence requirements, and reporting procedures to support alignment with net zero goals. The industry is being encouraged to engage with the pilot version, preparing for a comprehensive verification process in future updates.

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