The case for Centres of Excellence in sustainable building design
The case for Centres of Excellence in sustainable building design
The case for Centres of Excellence in sustainable building design
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Introduction<br />
Introduction<br />
<strong>The</strong> UK’s commitments to mitigat<strong>in</strong>g climate change mean that we need to<br />
achieve an overall 80% reduction <strong>in</strong> greenhouse gas emissions across the<br />
economy by 2050. This goal has been broken down <strong>in</strong>to a series <strong>of</strong> future carbon<br />
budgets to ensure a manageable progression (Figure 1). Energy consumption<br />
<strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>gs presently accounts <strong>for</strong> some 45% <strong>of</strong> UK emissions <strong>of</strong> CO2 , a major<br />
greenhouse gas, and so the reduction <strong>of</strong> emissions from the built environment<br />
is a major plank <strong>of</strong> policy on climate change. It is already a requirement that all<br />
new build<strong>in</strong>gs shall be zero carbon from 2019 with an earlier date <strong>of</strong> 2016 <strong>for</strong> new<br />
build homes and schools.<br />
Figure 1: Required rate <strong>of</strong> reduction <strong>of</strong> greenhouse gas emissions (exclud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational aviation and shipp<strong>in</strong>g) 2009 to 2050 [CCC, 2010]<br />
<strong>The</strong> scale <strong>of</strong> the task fac<strong>in</strong>g our society is enormous and the future cost <strong>of</strong><br />
meet<strong>in</strong>g our future energy needs, while also address<strong>in</strong>g our climate change<br />
commitments, could have a significant impact on the health <strong>of</strong> the economy<br />
as a whole. It is essential that the necessary carbon abatement is achieved<br />
at the lowest possible cost to society, and yet recent policy announcements<br />
seem to <strong>in</strong>dicate that, <strong>in</strong> relation to the construction <strong>in</strong>dustry at least, the best<br />
opportunities <strong>for</strong> low-cost mitigation are sometimes be<strong>in</strong>g overlooked <strong>in</strong> favour<br />
<strong>of</strong> costly, high-technology alternatives.<br />
Policy is now be<strong>in</strong>g developed to target carbon emissions from exist<strong>in</strong>g build<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
pr<strong>in</strong>cipally dwell<strong>in</strong>gs. <strong>The</strong> Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team<br />
F<strong>in</strong>al Report [BIS, 2010], estimates that <strong>in</strong> order to achieve a 60% reduction <strong>in</strong> CO2<br />
emissions from the UK hous<strong>in</strong>g stock by 2050 will require <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>of</strong> £200<br />
billion <strong>in</strong> energy efficiency retr<strong>of</strong>it and refurbishment. However, this alone will not<br />
achieve the overall policy requirement <strong>of</strong> an 80% reduction <strong>in</strong> greenhouse gas<br />
emissions. Energy efficiency <strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>gs is one <strong>of</strong> the more readily achievable<br />
sav<strong>in</strong>gs and <strong>in</strong> order to compensate <strong>for</strong> the reduced abatement potential <strong>in</strong><br />
other sectors <strong>of</strong> the economy. <strong>The</strong> Committee <strong>for</strong> Climate Change [2010] has<br />
estimated that it will be necessary to achieve a 90% reduction <strong>in</strong> CO2 emissions<br />
from build<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
In Warm Homes Greener Homes [DECC CLG, 2009] part <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> Green Deal,<br />
Government sets out an ambition that 7 million homes should receive<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>case</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Centres</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Excellence</strong> <strong>in</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>able build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>design</strong> 11