Building on the Net Zero Carbon Framework Definition, which was launched by UKGBC in 2019, the updated WLC Framework provides guiding principles and actions to help organisations minimise whole life carbon and manage residual emissions.

Designed to be approachable and accessible, the WLC Framework consists of four overarching principles and four delivery principles, supported by sub-principles and life-cycle based actions to implement at each stage of a building project.

Industry bodies��previously��used��UKGBC’s��the��2019��framework, and��related��other��tools, to��support��development of��the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard��(NZCBS), which was��launched in February��and��sets out��a��science-led methodology for defining and demonstrating net zero carbon alignment.

The new and updated framework can be used alongside the UK NZCBS and other industry methods and standards, acting as a practical serving as a reference tool for built environment professionals, including; developers, owners and operators, designers, consultants, contractors, supply Property and facilities managers, product manufacturers and local planning authorities.

Yetunde Abdul, Director of Industry Transformation at UKGBC, said:

Reducing whole life carbon emissions is essential to creating a more resilient and future-ready built environment. As expectations around sustainability and carbon performance continue to grow, organisations need practical tools that support consistent and informed decision-making across the full life cycle of buildings.

This updated framework is designed to help drive industry-wide action by supporting better design making, strengthening accountability and embedding whole life carbon thinking into projects from the outset.”

Philippa Birch-Wood, Head of Climate Action at UKGBC, said:

Whole life carbon must become a core consideration in every building project if the sector is serious about delivering net zero. This updated framework provides practical guidance to help organisations reduce emissions, strengthen accountability and make better carbon decisions from the earliest stages of development.

Designed to complement initiatives such as the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the framework will help organisations improve assessment, reporting and disclosure practices while supporting the transition to net-zero aligned buildings.”

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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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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In this webinar, we’ll walk you through the proposal and the key questions we’re seeking feedback on. This is your chance to help shape the future of the industry.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed for anyone who may be interested in responding to the Regenerative Places Framework consultation, particularly those involved in housing development or retrofit. It is an opportunity for all built environment stakeholders to provide feedback. We encourage anyone with an interest in regenerative design in the built environment to join this webinar and respond to the consultation, from experienced professionals to those with a general interest.

WITH THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

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This breakfast event will explore the first insights from a forthcoming UKGBC report which examines the key barriers and enablers to increasing resilience in the UK’s energy infrastructure and distribution systems and accelerating the move to electrification.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed for professionals working at the intersection of energy and the built environment. It will be particularly relevant to developers, energy providers, engineers, asset owners, grid operators, planners, local authorities and consultants.

Agenda

08.00 Arrivals – teas, coffee, and light breakfast available.

08.30 Proceedings start – presentation and expert panel discussion

09.30 Networking

10.00 Close

A HUGE THANK YOU FOR GENEROUSLY HOSTING THIS EVENT

Advancing Net Zero Partners

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

The post Insights into UK Resilience: Energy Infrastructure and Distribution Systems appeared first on UKGBC.

The built environment involves many organisations across long and complex supply chains, spanning strategic partners and project specific suppliers. These supply chains significantly influence environmental and social outcomes across the lifecycle of assets, and effective engagement can shape how buildings are designed, delivered, operated and repurposed for decades.

This guide sets out a simple four-step approach to effective supply chain engagement:

1. Which impacts to engage on

2. Who to engage with

3. When to engage

4. How to engage

Download the report here

Advancing Net Zero Partners

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

Engaging the Supply Chain Project Partners

Thank you to our Project Partners for supporting this work

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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Part of the��Building��the��Case for��Zero��Series,��the latest��in the suite��covering��retrofit of��retail and logistic��buildings,��the��report provides practical, evidence-based guidance for owners, landlords, occupiers and designers. It outlines��measures��such as��HVAC��and lighting optimisation, electrification, and on-site renewables��alongside cost��considerations,��while��emphasising tailored, portfolio-wide approaches rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. It also highlights the importance of integrating resilience, climate adaptation and social value to create healthy, future-ready buildings.��

Download the report here

Retail and logistics buildings are fundamental to the UK’s economy. They also represent one of our greatest opportunities for decarbonisation. With most of today’s assets still in use by 2050, the route to net zero depends on retrofit, not replacement. This report provides guidance to help the industry act now and invest wisely.”

Yetunde Abdul, Director of Industry Transformation at UKGBC

Also��released,��a��report focuses on energy optimisation across non-domestic buildings, which account for 23% of built environment emissions from operational energy use. It sets out a clear, iterative four-step approach: engaging stakeholders, aligning incentives, using data effectively, and taking action. Drawing on real-world experience, the guidance shows how organisations can unlock meaningful energy and carbon savings through lower-cost,��lower-disruption interventions.��

Download the report here

Nearly a quarter of built environment emissions come from operating non-domestic buildings. Energy optimisation is one of the fastest and most effective ways to cut carbon, without major investment.”

Philippa Birch-Wood, Head of Climate Action at UKGBC

Ģ��ֱ�� calling on organisations across the built environment to act now, collaborate across the value chain, and use this guidance to reduce emissions, improve performance, and accelerate progress towards net zero. 

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.

Learn more

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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The post UKGBC calls for urgent action on retrofit and energy optimisation in new reports appeared first on UKGBC.

23% of the UK’s built environment carbon emissions come from the energy used in non-domestic buildings. On average, this can be reduced by a quarter through optimisation actions. This guidance has been created to support greater reductions in the energy use and associated carbon emissions of operational non-domestic buildings.

Every organisation and building has its own unique characteristics and so there is no one size fits all answer for energy and carbon optimisation. However, based on case studies and the industry experience of the working group, this report outlines key steps for success and lists practical actions, which will be applicable to many buildings.

This guidance has been developed for anyone who is overseeing, creating or running an energy and carbon reduction strategy for a commercial building, estate or property portfolio. This is likely to include individuals in within the following roles: owners/landlords, occupiers/tenants, property managers/facilities managers, mechanical and electrical (M&E) and building management system (BMS) engineers, energy and carbon consultants, design and project teams.

Advancing Net Zero Partners

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

Project Partners of delivering net zero: practical actions for optimising energy use

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.

Learn more

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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The post Delivering Net Zero: Practical Actions for Optimising Energy Use appeared first on UKGBC.

This report aims to empower the retail and logistics sectors to drive rapid reductions in energy use and whole life carbon. It does this by highlighting commonly used retrofit measures for these buildings and examining the possible impacts on energy performance and their estimated cost of implementation. It also identifies other key considerations for deciding what and when to undertake retrofit measures.

This report is primarily for those working on retail and logistics buildings in the following roles: owners and landlords, occupiers/tenants, property and facility managers, designers and other consultants.

Calls to Actions

Based on the findings of this report, the following actions are recommended for those involved in the retrofitting of retail and logistics buildings:

1.

Landlords and occupiers to collaborate for maximum impact

2.

Electrify systems and maximise on-site renewable energy generation.

3.

Take a broad view of environmental and social impacts.

4.

Collect and share data on the impacts of real world retrofit projects

Advancing Net Zero Partners

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

Project Partners of Building the Case for Net Zero: Retrofitting Retail & Logistics Buildings

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.

Learn more

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

The post Building the Case for Net Zero: Retrofitting Retail and Logistics Buildings appeared first on UKGBC.

You will leave with an understanding of the principles and actions in the new Whole Life Carbon Framework, with expert insights on how it can be applied a s a practical tool for minimising whole life carbon and managing residual emissions.

Who Should Attend?

This Framework is relevant to any organisation and individual who can influence the carbon emissions and/or manage the residual emissions from a building at any time in its life cycle. This includes:

• Developers, owners and operators.
• Designers and consultants.
• Construction contractors and supply chain.
• Property and facilities managers.
• Product manufacturers.
• Local planning authorities.

Advancing Net Zero Partners

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

PROJECT PARTNER

The post Whole Life Carbon Framework Launch appeared first on UKGBC.

The Energy and Carbon Forum will focus on discussions around how to deliver net zero outcomes, touching on topics such as implementing whole life carbon reduction strategies, designing for the future energy grid, scaling low carbon materials and embedding resilience across projects.

The first session will shape the programme for the remaining five sessions, identifying priority topics to explore in depth and giving members the opportunity to become a chair for the upcoming sessions.

The forum will start 19th May and run every six weeks, finishing next spring. By signing up to this first session, members will be enrolling for the whole duration of the forum.��

We will host three special sessions on financial value, supply chain engagement and nature. Other members will be able to join these sessions as one-offs, depending on which topic is most interesting to them. Specific dates will be announced soon.

Who Should Sign Up?

The UKGBC Energy & Carbon Forum is open to individuals from UKGBC member organisations who have demonstrable knowledge or practical experience in energy and carbon. Participants are expected to actively contribute to discussions by sharing insights, challenges and best practices, while also representing their organisationtion’s work and perspective on the topic.

This forum will be particularly appealing to Building Developers, Building Owners, Building Systems Engineers (M+E), Architects, Occupiers, Asset Managers, Energy Providers and Project Managers.

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