The UK government has established the goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions nationwide by 2050. That’s an incredibly ambitious goal that will require the cooperation of both private citizens and all sectors of the UK economy. A key component of achieving that goal is making sure we construct buildings that are themselves carbon neutral. That will take commitment from everyone involved including architects, construction companies, building owners and more. Below we will look at some of the steps that need to be taken if we are to arrive at Net Zero in construction.
A Roadmap to Achieving Net Zero in Construction
In order for the construction industry in the UK to achieve Net Zero status, the following steps will need to be taken.
- Embracing energy efficiency: Every aspect of the construction process from insulation to windows to lighting to material choices and more will need to enable greater energy efficiency in future buildings.
- Integrating passive design principles: Passive design techniques includes orientating buildings to optimise natural ventilation and embracing thermal mass as a means of temperature regulation.
- Using sustainable materials: Embodied carbon must be taken into consideration and sustainable alternatives found to materials with high levels of embodied carbon. Reclaimed wood, recycled steel and low carbon concrete are all examples of more sustainable materials.
- Carbon offsetting: In some cases, achieving Net Zero won’t be possible. In such cases, developers should embrace carbon offsetting initiatives such as sponsoring reforestation projects.
- Embracing Net Zero guidelines: LEED and BREEAM are two existing certification programmes that provide guidelines for achieving Net Zero in construction.
- Integrating renewables: Developers should strive to incorporate wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources into the buildings they create.
How Qflow Can Help
Qflow provides actionable insights into every aspect of supply chain management enabling construction firms to root out and eliminate embodied carbon in building materials and to minimise carbon heavy waste. With Qflow, your entire operation from tracking GRNs to waste management will be more energy efficient – thereby helping to achieve the goal of Net Zero construction within the allotted timeframe. To learn more, use the contact form on this website.
