The UK parliament has published a briefing note outlining possible strategies to reduce the whole-life carbon emissions of buildings in England, including encouraging the reuse of existing buildings and the use of low-carbon materials.
The parliamentary briefing note, or POSTbrief, was published by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) branch of the UK Parliament in support of the UK's target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
The note, which cites statistics from organisations including the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and the Climate Change Committee (CCC), spotlights the environmental impact of buildings in Britain and focuses specifically on strategies to reduce whole-life emissions of buildings in England.
Whole-life emissions are all the emissions that result from buildings over their lifespan. This includes operational carbon, which are the emissions caused by a building's use, and embodied carbon, which are the emissions caused by the construction supply chain. POSTbrief highlights "carbon impact" of buildings
"Buildings contribute a significant proportion of the UK's carbon emissions and play a key role in achieving net-zero emissions targets," the briefing states.
"This POSTbrief explores the emissions associated with buildings, from design to end of life, and presents an overview of the opportunities for reducing their carbon impact."
The built environment is widely regarded as being responsible for around 40 per...