The building and construction sector can reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050

Avison Young have formally endorsed the World Green Building Council’s report titled ‘Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront’ as one of 80 signatories.

This coincides with the 10th annual World Green Building Week and comes in the wake of Friday’s Global Climate Strike demanding climate action to target net zero.

The report sets out a bold new vision for how buildings and infrastructure around the world can reach 40% less embodied carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve 100% net zero emissions by 2050. In order to achieve this the industry is going to need to act together, with owners, occupiers, developers, investors, architects and consultants all leading the charge on change.

There are signs the industry is taking the global call to action seriously as well. On Friday, the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) published the BBP Members Climate Commitment, a pledge by 23 owners with collectively more than £300bn of assets under management (in excess of 11,000 buildings), to reach net zero by 2050 and publish their pathways to reach that goal next year.

A fundamental part of the carbon reduction strategy is reducing (and eventually negating) the impact of embodied carbon, hence Avison Young’s endorsement of the WGBC’s report. It is clear that a radical change in industry coordination and cooperation is needed to ensure the required market transformation to mainstream net zero, and that the real estate industry cannot act in isolation. Promoting cross sector collaboration is crucial, particularly as governments look to embed targets into policy and other regulatory frameworks. Innovative approaches are necessary that engage and deliver across industries, delivering tangible results which impact and satisfy the required standards as a minimum.

The result of all of this is a clear mandate for the real estate industry to take action and bring its sustainability agenda to the forefront of operations. Avison Young is well positioned as an industry leader in sustainability consulting to assist our clients both in putting together net zero carbon pathways and delivering on them. We see this as good business sense, investing in assets as well as the planet, ensuring all of our buildings are better for everyone whilst protecting the future for our planet. The recent industry focus on climate issues clearly shows that those organisations who don’t keep up risk falling behind and losing value over time.

To discuss how Avison Young can help your business lead the change and what services we can offer please do get in touch.

You can read the WGBC ‘Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront’ report here.

Tom Malcolm Green
Graduate Surveyor
T: 020 7911 2715
E: [email protected]