Carbon Net Zero resources
For social landlords and their contractors wanting to make their organisations carbon net zero, there are many resources to help them plan how to do this.
Before starting any plans, it is best for organisations to review what is currently available so that they can benefit from the work others have done. As part of its work on Best Practice, the NHMF is publishing a series of Best Practice articles and case studies on Decarbonisation and Carbon Net Zero, including this one on Carbon Net Zero resources. It will also be running webinars to help organisations plan for Decarbonisation.
What resources are available to help Decarbonisation?
These are a selection of useful resources to help social landlords and their contractors on carbon net zero.
UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) is a charity with over 600 member organisations spanning the entire sector, who are working to radically improve the sustainability of the built environment, by transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated. It focuses on 5 key aspects:
- Mitigating and adapting to climate change
- Eliminating waste and maximising resource efficiency
- Embracing and restoring nature and promoting biodiversity
- Optimising the health and wellbeing of people
- Creating long-term value for society and improving quality of life
The UKGBC has published a range of resources, research and policy approaches to help the construction sector to work towards Carbon Net Zero:
- A Pathway to Net Zero for the UK Built Environment, which includes the need for a plan and strategy to retrofit existing homes. It also provides a carbon footprint of the built environment, a net zero trajectory for 2050 and an action plan for different stakeholders.
- Whole Life Carbon Roadmap
- Green Recovery Position Paper, which includes recommendations for retrofit and climate resilience.
- https://www.ukgbc.org/ukgbc-work/advancing-net-zero/, which sets out the UKGBC’s plans to help the sector achieve the UK’s net zero emissions target and lists resources currently available.
Grosvenor is committed to being net zero carbon by 2030. Its pathway, Going for Zero, independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative to achieve 50%+ emissions reduction over next decade. To help the sector, it has made much of its research and resources open source so that others can use them. It has published:
- Pathway to Net Zero, illustrates the steps Grosvenor will take to achieve Net Zero.
- Think zero, explains how Grosvenor will improve the energy efficiency of its existing property portfolio, including its historic Mayfair and Belgravia estate (see Think Zero Executive Summary)
- Offset 2025, which explains carbon offsetting and its different types, before outlining its offsettfing strategy.
National Housing Federation has published:
- Decarbonisation: a guide for housing associations
- Decarbonising the housing association sector: costs and funding options
NHMF webinar on: The Social Sector Response to Zero Carbon
Committee on Climate Change has published:
Each Home Counts was an Independent Review of Consumer Advice, Protection, Standards and Enforcement for UK home energy efficiency and renewable energy measures commissioned by the Government in 2015 to address concerns about retrofit failings. Its findings and recommendations were published in December 2016 in a report entitled Each Home Counts. The PAS 2030 & 2035 standards and requirements were developed by BSI in response to its recommendations, which is explained in a NHMF Best Practice Briefing.
Retrofit for the Future was a programme led by Innovate UK to explore how existing homes in the UK could be improved to use less energy, cut carbon emissions and ultimately save home energy costs. The report of the programme’s results was published by the Government. Since the conclusion of the programme Innovate UK have produced reports on the projects as well as the programmes outputs, these can be found here.
Examples, advice and consultancy:
Organisations providing advice, research reports, training and consultancy services to help develop carbon net zero strategies, roadmaps and plans include:
Note: This is part of series of Best Practice articles and case studies that the NHMF is producing.
NHMF hosted a webinar on The Social Sector Response to Zero Carbon on 12 October. You can see the presentations at: https://www.nhmf.co.uk/training.
Further webinars will be planned for 2022.
