The Construction Leadership Council is calling on businesses from across the industry to play their part in securing net-zero carbon construction 2050
CO2nstruct Zero is intended to promote the high-level priorities that the industry must work on to reduce carbon, thereby playing our part in achieving the UK Government’s objective of net-zero for the whole economy by 2050.
The Construction Leadership Council will be identifying measurable targets to show how the industry is making progress towards net-zero.
CO2nstruct Zero will act as the focal point of engagement for the industry with the Government in preparation for November’s COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.
CO2nstruct Zero builds upon the way that the industry united last year as a single force to tackle Covid-19, ensuring a consistent approach is taken by the whole sector while avoiding duplication of work.
Action plan
An action plan is being prepared, aligned to the 9 priorities, co-ordinating the extensive and exciting work already happening right across the industry, including within the CLC through the Green Construction Board and the Infrastructure Client Group, to develop the solutions, guiding companies on the actions and role that they can play.
Organisations can volunteer to help with the development of the action plan by bringing their initiatives to join up, while individual businesses are encouraged to become Business Champions sharing their approach to delivering on the 9 priorities and contributing to the Race for Zero.
The action plan will also consider changing skills needs and how these can be addressed to provide a workforce that can achieve net-zero.
CO2nstruct Zero’s priorities are:
Transport
- Accelerating the shift of the construction workforce to zero-emission vehicles and onsite plant.
- Maximising the use of Modern Methods of Construction and improved onsite logistics, reducing waste and transport to sites.
- Championing developments and infrastructure investments that both enable connectivity with low carbon modes of transport and design to incorporate readiness for zero-emission vehicles buildings.
- Work with Government to deliver retrofitting to improve the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock.
- Scale-up industry capability to deliver low carbon heat solutions in buildings, supporting heat pump deployment, trials of hydrogen heating systems and heat networks.
- Enhancing the energy performance of new and existing buildings through higher operational energy efficiency standards and better building energy performance monitoring.
Construction Activity
- Implementing carbon measurement, to support our construction projects in making quantifiable decisions to remove carbon.
- Become world leaders in designing out carbon, developing the capability of our designers and construction professionals to develop designs in line with circular economy – reducing embedded and operational carbon, shifting commercial models to incentivise and reward measurable carbon reductions.
- Support development of innovative low carbon materials (prioritising concrete and steel), as well as advancing low carbon solutions for manufacturing production processes and distribution the CLC is now inviting companies and organisations from across the industry to link up with CO2nstruct Zero, getting involved with its delivery.
Securing a low carbon future
Construction Leadership Council chair Andy Mitchell CBE said: “There is no bigger challenge that our industry faces than the need to decarbonise.
“We need to pull the whole industry together, letting everyone know what they can do to reduce carbon while unlocking strategic changes that will set the sector on a new course towards net-zero”
Construction minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “The UK was the first major economy to set our commitment to eliminate our country’s contribution to climate change into law.
“But we can only do that by working with industry to make practical changes to secure a better low-carbon future.
“I am delighted that, through CO2nstruct Zero, the construction sector is showing the unity and leadership to make this happen and ensure we build back greener.”
