The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) has announced its endorsement of regulating the ‘whole life’ carbon in construction for net-zero targets
The implementation of Part Z embodied carbon regulations would help to quantify and mitigate the carbon impact in construction.
CIAT, as the global qualifying body in the architectural technology sector, is supporting the implementation of the new regulations, which would hold its members more accountable for embodied carbon in architectural designs.
Part Z would amend the Building Regulations 2010
If implemented, Part Z would require developers to report on the carbon embodied in the construction of their projects, allowing limits to be set and measures to be taken to reduce embodied carbon.
As part of the proposal, a draft ‘Approved Document’ is available, which offers guidance on compliance with the regulations, should they come into effect, and shows that carbon assessments should be undertaken in line with the standards and methodology laid out by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Embodied carbon is defined as greenhouse gas emissions related to both the production and use of construction materials, and is currently unregulated in the UK.
Around 1-in-10 of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are in the form of embodied carbon, making up 64m tonnes of carbon emissions (CO2e) per year. This is more than the UK’s aviation and shipping industries combined.
The proposed Part Z can be read in full here.
“We need to reduce the emissions associated with construction”
President Eddie Weir PCIAT, said: “I’m delighted that CIAT has joined the many other industry bodies already supporting the campaign for ‘Part Z’.
“Architectural Technology is all about creating buildings that perform to the highest standards, meeting the needs of people and planet. Building Regulations set requirements for the in-use performance of buildings, but ’embodied’ emissions make up an increasingly large share of the climate impact of a building over its lifetime. This is a huge gap, and closing it is essential to achieving the emissions reductions we need to see in the built environment sector over the coming 25 years.
“Chartered Architectural Technologists work tirelessly with clients and professional colleagues across the sector to deliver the best performing, most sustainable buildings possible. Until ‘Part Z’ is established as a regulatory requirement, I encourage our members and affiliates to do all they can to minimise embodied carbon in the buildings they design.”
Chis Halligan MCIAT, Chair of the CIAT Climate Society, said: “The decisions we make over the next few years will have a profound impact on our climate, our communities and our wellbeing for decades, perhaps centuries, to come.
“We know we need to reduce the emissions associated with construction; if cement were a country, its carbon emissions would be third only to the USA and China.
“But to deliver the best outcomes we need to go further, embedding sustainability as a design objective from the outset, rather than treating it as a bolt-on or optional extra. That way, we can deliver buildings which stand the test of time, tread lightly upon the planet, and deliver safety and resilience for building users and wider communities.
“‘Part Z’ only addresses embodied carbon, but by forcing designers and developers to consider sustainability from the outset, it can help raise ambitions across the sector, driving lasting change and preventing a race to the bottom. That means it’s a great place to start.”
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