The case for Centres of Excellence in sustainable building design

Introduction
Introduction
The UK’s commitments to mitigating climate change mean that we need to
achieve an overall 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the
economy by 2050. This goal has been broken down into a series of future carbon
budgets to ensure a manageable progression (Figure 1). Energy consumption
in buildings presently accounts for some 45% of UK emissions of CO2 , a major
greenhouse gas, and so the reduction of emissions from the built environment
is a major plank of policy on climate change. It is already a requirement that all
new buildings shall be zero carbon from 2019 with an earlier date of 2016 for new
build homes and schools.
Figure 1: Required rate of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (excluding
international aviation and shipping) 2009 to 2050 [CCC, 2010]
The scale of the task facing our society is enormous and the future cost of
meeting our future energy needs, while also addressing our climate change
commitments, could have a significant impact on the health of the economy
as a whole. It is essential that the necessary carbon abatement is achieved
at the lowest possible cost to society, and yet recent policy announcements
seem to indicate that, in relation to the construction industry at least, the best
opportunities for low-cost mitigation are sometimes being overlooked in favour
of costly, high-technology alternatives.
Policy is now being developed to target carbon emissions from existing buildings,
principally dwellings. The Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team
Final Report [BIS, 2010], estimates that in order to achieve a 60% reduction in CO2
emissions from the UK housing stock by 2050 will require investment of £200
billion in energy efficiency retrofit and refurbishment. However, this alone will not
achieve the overall policy requirement of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions. Energy efficiency in buildings is one of the more readily achievable
savings and in order to compensate for the reduced abatement potential in
other sectors of the economy. The Committee for Climate Change [2010] has
estimated that it will be necessary to achieve a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions
from buildings.
In Warm Homes Greener Homes [DECC CLG, 2009] part of The Green Deal,
Government sets out an ambition that 7 million homes should receive
The case for Centres of Excellence in sustainable building design 11