Emerging research, standards and policy approaches...
It was great to attend FOOTPRINT+ conference in May.
I really enjoyed hearing from experts in our field about emerging research, standards and policy approaches. In particular, there were three talks that really stood out for me…
1) Embodied ecological impact of materials.
With our very own Eva MacNamara, this talk focused on the impact of our material choices on ecosystems. She ran through the findings of our Embodied Biodiversity Impacts of Construction Materials report, which widens our scope of thought beyond simply the impact of construction on ecosystems onsite and instead considers all ecosystems impacted by material extraction, processing and supply. My main take-away from all the speakers was that much is still unknown. We need more data to make clear decisions, and the industry must play a role in pressuring the supply chain to report them – connecting into UKGBC’s growing database as described by Kai Liebetanz. But in the meantime, as with embodied carbon, material efficiency is the way to go.
2) What can we learn from New York City’s Urban Policy?
Another fascinating event was on the Retrofit Agenda Stage, co-presented by Shanta Tucker and Elie Gamburg. The session was focused on NYC’s Local Law 97, which is an operational GHG emission limit for all buildings (existing and new) that gets stricter over time and is coupled with fines for non-compliant owners – essentially devaluing poor performing buildings. For me, the really interesting part of this talk was how the policy has been rolled out in a “politically palatable” way - via consistent and clear communication that gives those effected forewarning and allows sufficient time for building owners to make retrofit improvements before fines are in question. I will definitely be watching out to see how the scheme works in practice when it comes into effect this year, especially compares to London’s MEES approach.
3) The UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard.
Lastly, an extremely popular event – and for good reason – an update on the UK Net Zero carbon Building Standard. Around two years ago, just before I left UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), we started assembling the UK NetZero Carbon Building Standard technical working group alongside the other of industry bodies. It was great to see the progress that the same faces have made over the duration of the project and I am really looking forward to seeing the full output this Summer. It will clarify what we mean by net zero carbon in the built environment, which is key to avoid greenwashing, and help us all to be more specific in our target setting for a broader range of building types. I will definitely be watching eagle-eyed as the first Standard is released in summer and any follow up schemes which will likely follow.
Overall, a really insightful day with some great speeches, catching up with some old faces and making new connections. Thanks Useful Projects / Expedition Engineering Ltd for sending me along!
By Anna Biggs
Useful Simple Trust