Net zero targets for the built environment
Intervention point
Developing and aligning with accurate science-based targets for the built environment will enable the sector to decarbonise at pace, reducing its significant contributions to global carbon emissions.
Current situation
Getting science-based, net zero, whole life carbon targets for the near and long term is an imperative for the decarbonisation of the building system.
Besides an obvious practical need, such targets will enable a host of other activities that can assist in the faster decarbonisation of the building stock. This includes much easier detection of greenwashing, incentives for retrofitting in a building renovation passport, as well as more accessible financing for necessary retrofits by banks or governments, as science-based targets can contribute to transition risk mitigation efforts by de-risking asset value preservation plans.
However, the sector-specific decarbonisation pathway and associated science-based targets for the companies in the built environment are still under development, as the task has been proving challenging. This is due to issues such as the lack of whole life data as well as the fact that when developing science-based targets, decarbonisation does not stop at asset level, but is related to the wider infrastructure and supply chains.
How to get involved
To learn more about SBTi building targets and guidance, and to receive updates: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/sectors/buildings
To learn more about the Ramboll and Laudes Foundation Embodied Carbon Reduction support study, follow this link: https://c.ramboll.com/lets-reduce-embodied-carbon
WBCSD’s Net-zero buildings: Where do we stand? provides an understanding and common approach of how to account for whole life carbon emissions of buildings, and discusses emerging benchmarks the industry can align around. https://www.wbcsd.org/Programs/Cities-and-Mobility/Sustainable-Cities/Transforming-the-Built-Environment/Decarbonization/Resources/Net-zero-buildings-Where-do-we-stand
Interested in finding out more? Click here to download the full technical briefing.
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Last updated: 14 December 2023
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