In 2025, the IPCC reaffirmed that limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires deep and sustained reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Achieving this remains fundamental to avoiding the most severe impacts of climate change, but delivering this scale of transformation demands coordinated action across government, industry and society, supported by credible pathways for deep emission reductions. The built environment sector plays a central role in this transition, with the need to address both operational and embodied carbon, across all asset types and life cycle stages now well established.

The UKGBC published the original Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition in 2019. This provided industry with clarity on the high-level definition and delivery of net zero carbon buildings, while recognising the need for continued evolution as data, methodologies, and industry capability developed.

This updated framework provides a set of principles and actions to guide the optimisation of whole life carbon (WLC) and manage residual emissions across a building’s life cycle. Its aim is to support consistent, low-carbon decision-making from early design through operation and end-of-life (EOL), and to guide projects in accordance with best practice standards.

Download the Framework here

This framework should be used to:

Inform early-stage design and organisational strategy

Embed a reduction-first approach

Set ambition and roles by establishing WLC objectives

Apply the principles

Select appropriate lifecycle actions

Ensure consistent, transparent measurement and disclosure

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our Advancing Net Zero work is made possible thanks to our programme partners

Whole Life Carbon Framework Project Partners

Thank you to our Project Partners for their continued support

Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council former global Advancing Net Zero programme, UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

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Climate Change Mitigation

We are in a decisive decade for climate action and with a decreasing number of years left to achieve 2030 climate targets, radical and rapid transformation from businesses and the global economy is essential.

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Why this report matters

Despite rapid innovation across materials, digital technologies, construction systems and business models, many solutions��remain��underutilised. Fragmented decision-making, risk-averse cultures, misaligned procurement��models��and limited access to scale-up finance continue to hold back progress.��

Without faster adoption, the industry risks higher long-term costs, missed opportunities, and slower progress towards net zero and more resilient places.��This report focuses on what needs to change to move from isolated innovation to system-wide implementation.��

Drawing on insights from a broad range of stakeholders, built environment practitioners and industry experts, the report identifies seven key themes that influence whether solutions scale: organisational readiness; adopter needs and solution; finance and business models; certification and verification; risk, insurance and warranties; delivery and implementation; outcomes and knowledge sharing.

Across these themes, the report sets out 77 actionable enablers to support organisations in accelerating adoption.��

Download the report here

Scaling Initiative Partners

Thank you to our Scaling Initiative Partners for their generous support:

Solutions & Innovation

The built environment is both a major contributor to the climate and ecological crises, and a key part of the solution. At UKGBC we recognise that the scale and urgency of these challenges cannot be address with business as usual, but radical transformation. This requires innovation in technology, business models and ways of operating, and ensuring these innovative solutions scale at the pace required.

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UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap for the Built Environment, published in 2021, was the first industry-led effort to develop a pathway to Net Zero for buildings and infrastructure in the UK. It identified the rapid and consistent actions needed to realise the 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (compared to 1990) required en route to near net zero emissions by 2050. This included both future-facing policy reforms and engagement from all sectors of the UK construction industry.

This report reviews progress in the six years following the 2018 baseline of the Roadmap. It presents the operational carbon, embodied carbon, and F-gar emissions of the entire UK domestic, non-domestic, and infrastructure stock based on reported data, for comparison against the progress determined to be necessary by the original roadmap.

Download the Progress Report here

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Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap

The industry’s pathway to net zero by 2050.

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The��Embodied Carbon Summit��Evidence��Report��summarises findings and evidence shared by developers, engineers, architects, local authorities,��insurers��and academics during the Embodied Carbon Summit, that was held on 5 November 2025. The summit was a cross-industry event��convened��in response to AECOM’s study,��, which was written for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government earlier in the year.

The Embodied Carbon Summit Evidence Report summarises the discussions that happened during the event, and groups practical, technical, and economic considerations to mirror AECOM’s research.

While today’s report avoids making any specific policy recommendations,  it’s clear that industry capability has advanced significantly in recent years, and the sector is now ready for national policy to accelerate further change. 

Policy & Advocacy

Since 2007, we have been bringing together some of the most influential leaders in politics, business, local authorities, civil service and NGOs to accelerate action for a green built environment.

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Retrofitting homes – improving the energy efficiency of the
fabric and adding low carbon heating systems – is complex.
It involves a myriad of stakeholders, from surveyors, to
installers, to finance providers.

The ‘one stop shop’ or ‘Retrofit Facilitation Provider’ (RFP)
approach is a way of trying to overcome this complexity
and deliver ‘hassle-free’ home upgrades. Under this
model, multiple services are bundled together to offer
homeowners an end-to-end journey; from raising
awareness of the need for an upgrade, undertaking
assessments and designs, arranging contractors, helping
to organise finance, through to post-retrofit assessment
and sign-off.

This report summarises research into existing
Retrofit Facilitation Providers and associated issues.
We investigated how to assess the capacity of a supply
chain and how to grow them to meet the increased
demand generated by a RFP. We also investigated how
those RFPs can engage householders to build demand for
retrofit and finance opportunities available. The research
was carried out for the MCS Foundation by a consortium
of Living Places, Regen, SE2 and the UK Green Building
Council (UKGBC). We are grateful for the generous support of the Aurora Trust.

The research is based on literature
reviews and interviews with existing RFPs and retrofit
experts. It was carried out over four months in late 2023
and focused largely on England-based organisations. It
is not exhaustive and provides a snapshot of the current
market as of December 2023.

Home Retrofit

With time running out to keep global temperatures to 1.5 degrees, upgrading the nation’s homes is one of the biggest opportunities the UK has to reduce carbon emissions whilst tackling the cost-of-living crisis, energy security and levelling up.

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Regenerative Places

Our programme utilises a place-based retrofit strategy to enhance local network capacity, strengthen resilience against future climate-related challenges, and deliver broad regenerative benefits to communities.

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Following on from the 2022 report, Delivering Net Zero: Key Considerations for Commercial Retrofits ‘Building the case for net zero: retrofitting office buildings‘ reframes retrofit as an iterative process, rather than a standalone project, and demonstrates that upgrades should be planned and implemented to align with critical opportunities, such as lease and maintenance cycles.

This report outlines which retrofit measures are the most energy and cost efficient, empowering industry professionals to understand what would work best for their particular project. These retrofit measures span the breadth of building upgrade types: building optimisation, light retrofit and deep retrofit. Additionally, this report details steps for overcoming common challenges to maximise compliance with anticipated Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and closing the gap towards future net zero carbon performance targets.

Commercial retrofit case studies

Uncover more information on the nine case studies featured in the report in our case study library.

Pall Mall

A deep retrofit of a Grade II listed building in Manchester City Centre targeting a 74% reduction Energy Use Intensity

Climate Change Adaptation Climate Change Mitigation Case Studies

Tempo

A deep retrofit of an office building in Maidenhead designed to achieve NABERS 5* and BREEAM Excellent certification.

Climate Change Mitigation Health, Wellbeing and Social Value Case Studies

5 New Street Square

A deep retrofit of an office building in the City of London set to achieve NABERS 5* certification.

Climate Change Adaptation Health, Wellbeing and Social Value Case Studies

134-138 Edmund Street

Building performance optimisation of a Birmingham office, achieved through embedding a data analytics software tool to provide actionable intelligence to property managers, building contractors and tenants.

Climate Change Adaptation Case Studies

1 & 2 Stephen Street

A phased approach to light and deep retrofit of a mixed-use scheme in central London.

Climate Change Mitigation Health, Wellbeing and Social Value Case Studies

Minerva House

A deep retrofit of an office building in central London designed to achieve BREEAM Outstanding and NABERS 5* certification.

Climate Change Adaptation Climate Change Mitigation Case Studies

Havelock

A deep retrofit of an office building in Manchester designed to achieve BREEAM Outstanding and NABERS 5* certification.

Climate Change Mitigation Resource Use Case Studies

The Entopia Building

Generating savings in whole life carbon emissions through tactical material reuse during refurbishment and the continued use of original building structures.

Climate Change Mitigation Resource Use Case Studies

Coal House

A deep retrofit off an office building in Cardiff City Centre that achieved BREEAM Excellent and SKA Gold.

Climate Change Mitigation Health, Wellbeing and Social Value Case Studies

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our Advancing Net Zero work is made possible thanks to our programme partners

Commercial Retrofit Project Partners

Our live projects on commercial retrofit are made possible thanks to our project partners

Commercial Retrofit

Energy required to heat, power and operate commercial buildings accounts for nearly a quarter of the built environment’s carbon footprint in the UK. Significant improvements in energy efficiency must be accelerated across all sectors. To address this challenge, Ģ��ֱ�� working with a team of industry experts to accelerate the delivery of commercial retrofit programmes.

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Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council former global Advancing Net Zero programme, UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

View more

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A toolkit that examines the barriers to a circular economy, and presents eight key enablers to overcome them.

System Enablers for a Circular Economy highlights systemic barriers and the policy and market-based solutions to enable the built environment industry to shift from a linear to a circular system. It identifies eight enablers that will encourage the shift from our current linear economic system; building a foundation upon which a circular economy across the built environment can become the default way of operating as we transition to net zero.

1. Greater collaboration and early engagement between industry stakeholders
2.  Establishing a marketplace for secondary construction materials
3.  Architecture practices characterised by circular economy design principles.
4.  Expanding the use of green contracts and leases
5.  Tax, legislation, and policy systems that direct industry and markets towards circularity.
6.  Scaling up green finance to stimulate business support for a circular economy.
7.  Enabling the industry to measure progress by having a set of consistent metrics, benchmarks and indicators.
8.  Educating practitioners and decision-makers with the necessary knowledge to be able to implement circular economy more widely.

The toolkit highlights how the transition to a circular economy will require a fundamental change in our economy. All levels of government, industry, and civil society will need to rally behind the common goal to shift from our current extractive and wasteful linear economy towards a regenerative, circular one. It also reveals that many of the solutions needed to deliver a circular economy available exist in today’s market and can be implemented immediately. For example, the greater use of circular economy design principles ensures a deconstructable and reusable approach to architecture that keeps construction materials in use.

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our Advancing Net Zero work is made possible thanks to our programme partners

Circular Economy Project Partner

We’d like to thank the generous support of our circular economy project partner for making this project possible.

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UKGBC’s report ‘Building the case for Net Zero: Closing the gap towards net Zero Carbon new-build homes’ examines the design and cost implications of significantly reducing carbon across new homes on a low-rise 750-home residential development. This report is based on the same real-world proposed residential scheme in Cambridgeshire, Trumpington South, as our Building the Case for Net Zero: A case study for low-rise residential developments study, which focuses on reducing carbon in the masterplan. The reports are designed to complement one another and show the importance of considering the carbon impacts of both the individual homes and the masterplan together.  

The study provides insight into the challenges and opportunities industry will face as we close the gap between current new home delivery and genuine net zero carbon homes. The scope of the report includes both embodied carbon – structure and façade, and material selection – and operational energy and carbon – including building fabric and services as well as heating systems and renewables – and was based on capital costs in a 2021 context. 

The report aims to help local authorities, investors, developers and housebuilders – as well as stakeholders across the value chain – to better understand how to close the gap towards net zero carbon new-build homes. It is also relevant to national policy makers, as – at the time of writing – the Government prepares the consultation on the Future Homes Standard 2025. 

This report was only possible due to the support of our 2021-22 Advancing Net Zero Programme Partners, we’d like to thank them for their support.  

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‘How Circular Economy Principles can impact carbon and value’, seeks to increase understanding within the built environment industry��of how circularity can support reductions in whole life carbon. It also seeks to enable project decision-makers and key built environment stakeholders to strengthen the business case for implementing circularity. It����demonstrates that circularity benefits not just carbon, but delivers against a much broader set of organisational, social, environmental, and financial aims. The research also offers a library of case studies which evidence the positive impact circularity is already delivering across new and existing projects within the UK.

A key conclusion of the report finds that many new and existing building projects have already used circular economy principles and are able to set out the resulting carbon reductions. Most notable is the level of carbon savings occurring through the reuse of existing assets and materials. For example, the case studies illustrate how significant upfront embodied carbon savings are being delivered through the reuse of existing structures, facades and steel.

The findings of this research are primarily intended to be used by project decision-makers and key built environment stakeholders seeking to strengthen the business case for implementing circularity across their projects. Although the focus of the report is on non-domestic and domestic buildings, findings will also likely be relevant to infrastructure projects.

With thanks to the 2021-22 Circular Economy Partners for their support of this project:��

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There is growing recognition of the need for nature-based solutions (NBS) to enhance the resilience of our ecosystems, built environments, and communities. Though, if NBS are to move beyond being a ‘nice-to-have’ asset or design feature, their value, as well as who benefits from them, must be more holistically understood.

This guidance, created collaboratively with the Value of Urban NBS task group, aims to help users to define the benefits and value they can draw from NBS, supporting them to develop their own business cases for investment, delivery, and maintenance of NBS, to further mainstream its consideration across industry.

If you have any questions on the guidance or would like to provide feedback, please email Kai.Liebetanz@ukgbc.org.

“This report is an important step to mainstreaming the integration of NBS in urban developments and provides some simple tools to anchor NBS at the core of projects. From raising awareness on the multiple benefits of NBS to developing innovative finance models, this guidance encourages decision makers to explore and implement the process of NBS integration.”&�Բ�����;

Federated Hermes’ Head of Investment, Eoin Murray

“Nature-based solutions are an exceptional solution for the challenges of our time. NBS can play a critical role in futureproofing developments, provide much needed adaptation to climate-related risks, whilst also delivering benefits for biodiversity and nature.  

The current lack of awareness and understanding of the benefits associated with NBS has resulted in their financial value being consistently undercalculated. UKGBC’s report seeks to challenges the dominant narratives surrounding urban NBS delivery, providing a broader framing of its benefits, beneficiaries, and value that underpins a more holistic business case.”&�Բ�����;

UKGBC’s Director of Business Transformation, Alastair ManT

“We are witnessing the stark reality of humanity’s consumptive approach to the planet’s resources with an alarming trend in nature loss, which not only contributes to climate change but is also accelerated by its impacts. Our industry needs to move beyond current compliance-based thinking to a regenerative one, recognising that the built environment can be a force for positive change. UKGBC’s guidance provides a practical framework for assessing the contribution of Nature based solutions to add value to a place, the neighbourhood and our environment. By creating opportunity and pathways for biodiversity through our urban spaces we can play our part in reversing this decline with a buildings and infrastructure that exist in harmony with nature and the environment.”

Troup Bywaters + Anders’ Managing Partner, Peter Anderson

This guidance has been made possible thanks to the UKGBC Resilience & Nature-Based Solutions Programme Partners: The John Ellerman Foundation, ARUP, BuroHappold, CBRE, Federated Hermes, Hoare Lea and ISG.

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