Building on established industry models and standards, the framework takes an expanded approach to value creation by establishing nine ‘Dimensions of Place’. It then identifies six key transitions needed to enable a regenerative approach and sets out the policy levers needed to enable regenerative approaches. It also highlights practical case studies from projects in design and completion.

The framework is designed for industry professionals who fund, plan, commission, design, deliver and steward new housing and retrofit, including; local authorities, housing providers and professionals across planning, design, development and construction. It also serves as a good reference for community organisations, public services and others shaping the long-term outcomes of place.

 

Simon McWhirter, chief executive of UKGBC, said:

In its essence, rather than doing less harm, this framework sets out the conditions in which industry can instead focus its attention and efforts on delivering positive change across national, social and economic systems, delivering real and long-lasting benefits to local people, communities and places.

In effect – weaving together the opportunities for change to help us craft really thriving places for the future.”

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.

View more

The post UKGBC launches Regenerative Places Framework for Housing appeared first on UKGBC.

Basil Demeroutis said:

It’s a privilege to step into the deputy-chair role and continue a relationship with UKGBC I’ve valued since 2021. I’m passionate about the UKGBC’s mission to transform how the built environment is financed, operated and repurposed.

I’m convinced the sector’s hardest problem isn’t technical, as we largely know how to decarbonise a building. It’s financial and behavioural: how to get capital to price resilience before it’s forced to. That’s the conversation I want to help UKGBC lead. I’m grateful to Judith for the foundation she’s laid, and I have a year to learn from her before stepping into the chair role.”

Simon McWhirter, CEO of UKGBC, added:

Having worked with Basil for the last few years, both as a trustee and across our work on accelerating innovation in the UK, I’m delighted to welcome him as our deputy chair.

His experience and perspective on the key levers to transition our built environment will be invaluable as we continue to push for systemic change. I am very much looking forward to working together more closely as he transitions into the chair role and helps drive forward our mission to make buildings and places more sustainable for everyone.”

Our Trustees

Meet the trustees who steer UKGBC’s mission for a sustainable built environment.

Learn more

The post Basil Demeroutis announced as UKGBC’s Deputy Chair of Trustees appeared first on UKGBC.

By cataloguing and organising the retrofit innovation landscape into specific interventions that a low carbon retrofit should consider, the Innovation Map enabled the project team to identify and specify 18 high-impact solutions. This includes an innovative airtightness system, advanced glazing options such as vacuum-insulated glass and a glass recycling scheme, and high-efficiency solar panels that could mean No. 1 Poultry has one of the highest efficiency solar arrays on any building in the UK.

The report sets out a practical ‘Innovation Process’ that encourages project teams to evaluate and engage with innovative technologies at the earliest stages of development, when decisions have the greatest influence on carbon outcomes, cost and performance.

Commercial buildings currently account for nearly a quarter of the built environment’s carbon footprint in the UK through the energy required to heat, power and operate them.

At the same time, the report highlights how growing regulatory requirements, rising energy costs, investors expectations and net zero commitments are increasing pressure on building owners to use ingenuity to drive the performance of existing assets.

Simon McWhirter, Chief Executive of the ������Ƶ, said:

The UK can’t achieve a net zero built environment without dramatically improving the performance of its existing commercial building stock. This report demonstrates that innovation doesn’t need to be an afterthought.

Rather, by bringing innovative solutions into the decision-making process at the front end, project teams can unlock greater carbon savings, reduce risk and create better-performing buildings. This is all about driving a market change that simply delivers better outcomes – environmental and commercial – for all involved.”

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner, FORE Partnership, said:

No. 1 Poultry has shown that even highly constrained and historically significant buildings can become platforms for innovation. Indeed, by proving that innovation can happen even in the most highly constrained cases like No. 1 Poultry, we are proving that commercial retrofit can deliver both environmental and commercial value in every building, so long as sustainability and ingenuity are embedded from the outset.”

Building on the success of this initiative, UKGBC, Breakthrough Energy and FORE will continue to champion innovation-led retrofit across the built environment sector. The partners are seeking to work with more organisations that want to adopt and help develop the Innovation Map, expanding its use across live projects and strengthening the evidence base for innovative retrofit solutions. By creating a clearer pathway from emerging technologies to deployment, the initiative aims to help make innovation a standard part of commercial retrofit practice rather than the exception.

The Initiative

Introducing a new initiative that will transform the iconic One Poultry building into a live laboratory for innovative retrofit solutions.

Learn more

The post New report shows how innovation can help transform the UK’s existing commercial buildings appeared first on UKGBC.

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.

View more

The post New framework to help reduce��and manage��carbon emissions launched by UKGBC appeared first on UKGBC.

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

������Ƶ 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, ������Ƶ 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 UKGBC calls for urgent action on retrofit and energy optimisation in new reports appeared first on UKGBC.

Many of the sustainable solutions needed to deliver a net zero, nature-positive and climate-resilient built environment already exist, but systemic barriers are preventing them from scaling, our new report warns. Without faster action, the industry risks higher long-term costs, missed opportunities, and slower progress towards net zero and more resilient places.

The report, Scaling Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment: Barriers & Enablers, finds that innovations across materials, digital technologies, construction systems and business models are often held back by fragmented decision-making, risk-averse cultures, misaligned procurement models and limited access to scale-up finance.

The report is the first output of UKGBC’s Scaling Sustainable Solutions Initiative, which aims to accelerate the widespread adoption of sustainable solutions across the built environment.

The report draws on insights from a broad range of stakeholders, built environment practitioners and industry experts, identifying seven key themes: organisational readiness; adopter needs and solution fit; finance and business models; certification and verification; risk, insurance and warranties; delivery and implementation; and outcomes and knowledge sharing. Across these, it sets out 77 actionable enablers, providing practical guidance to accelerate adoption.

Key findings from the report include

• Barriers to scaling are largely systemic rather than technical: Organisational processes, procurement practices, financing structures and risk frameworks often slow adoption more than technological limitations.

• “Pilotisation” is slowing progress: Pilots are often not designed with clear routes to portfolio-wide adoption. Without defined success criteria, scaling pathways and procurement alignment, innovation stalls.

• Clear demand signals and better alignment between adopters and solution providers are critical: Solutions are more likely to scale when they meet the operational, financial and delivery needs of organisations implementing them.

• Evidence, certification and risk frameworks build market confidence: Demonstration projects, trusted verification systems and clearer approaches to insurance and warranties can help reduce perceived risk.

• Collaboration is key: Scaling sustainable solutions requires coordinated action across the value chain. Collaboration between developers, asset owners, contractors, manufacturers, investors, insurers and policymakers is essential to unlock widespread adoption.

The report highlights a number of initiatives already helping to address these challenges, including collaborative programmes, demonstration projects and regional initiatives aimed at strengthening supply chains and supporting innovation adoption.

������Ƶ calling on organisations in across the built environment to work together to create the conditions needed to scale sustainable solutions more rapidly.

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

At a time of rapid change, the built environment must be able to adapt quickly to advances in materials, technologies and ways of working. In the context of the climate and ecological crises, increasing the widespread adoption of sustainable solutions is now critical. The Scaling Sustainable Solutions Initiative is seeking to leverage UKGBC’s network, influence and expertise to unlock the conditions needed for widespread adoption.”
��

Emily-Rose Garnett, Senior Advisor – Solutions & Innovation at UKGBC, said:

Many of the solutions we need already exist, but are not scaling at the pace required. The report shows the sector doesn’t need more isolated pilots, it needs coordinated action to bring proven solutions into mainstream use. The next phase of this work will bring industry together to test practical ways to overcome these barriers and create clear pathways for scaling sustainable solutions across portfolios, projects and supply chains.”

UKGBC, in collaboration with Innovate UK and the University of the Build Environment, has secured some resource to fund the next phase of this work but is also looking for commercial partners. The report was developed as part of the UKGBC Scaling Initiative, supported by partners: Buro Happold, Hoare Lea, Landsec, Lloyds Banking Group, OneClickLCA, Ramboll, TFT
��

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.

Learn more

The post New UKGBC report highlights barriers to scaling sustainable solutions and sets out practical steps to accelerate adoption�� appeared first on UKGBC.

New analysis from our latest Whole Life Carbon Roadmap Progress Report has revealed emissions from buildings and infrastructure have fallen by barely half required to meet carbon cutting targets.

The report warns the UK’s built environment, the country’s second-largest source of carbon emissions, is falling dangerously behind the pace required to help meet the UK’s net zero commitment, as defined in the��UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap.

The report shows carbon emissions falling by 14 per cent since 2018 against the 24 per cent reduction required in the roadmap. It means that, with its current trajectory, the industry is cutting carbon at around half the speed needed – a gap of around 20 MtCO₂e each year, or equivalent to the emissions of heating nine million homes for a year.

To get back on track, the sector must now deliver a further 35��MtCO₂e��reduction by 2027, meaning emissions cuts will need to happen more than three times faster than they have so far.

Download the report here

Launched in 2021,��the��UKGBC’s Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, sets out the UK’s pathway to net zero across operational and embodied carbon emissions from buildings and infrastructure. The latest progress report shows where the sector is accelerating and where it is falling behind in helping the UK reach its net zero target.

Operational emissions are falling through better energy efficiency and wider use of low-carbon technologies, the report showed. However, slower progress in embodied carbon reduction is cancelling out those gains.

The report also warned delays in decarbonising the electricity grid were undermining the shift to electrified heat and transport.

The findings come a week after the launch of the , the first unified, science-based method for defining and verifying net zero buildings, including mandatory limits on operational and embodied carbon. The UKGBC will also update its Whole Life Carbon Framework Definition this spring, further strengthening consistency across whole-life carbon assessment. Together, these developments and the publication of the Progress Report, provide the industry with clear evidence base and direction for future investment, design and regulation.

Simon McWhirter, Chief Executive of UKGBC, said:

The UK’s buildings are now dangerously behind in meeting our climate targets, and this new analysis shows just how stark the challenge has become. We are cutting carbon at less than half the pace required and every year we fall further behind, the harder and more expensive it becomes to catch up.

We simply cannot afford to lock in another generation of high-carbon homes, offices and infrastructure. With the right policies and decisive action from government and industry, we can still turn this around, but the window is closing fast.”

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

The built environment is the UK’s second largest source of emissions, and the solutions are available today. What we need now is consistent policy, mandatory whole life carbon regulation and sustained investment to unlock change at scale. Incremental progress will not be enough; this requires systemic transformation.

The report concludes that while progress has been made since 2018, it falls short of what is required. With no scope to delay progress towards 2050, rapid and coordinated action from industry and government is now essential. UKGBC will continue to convene members, provide evidence-based tools and work with policymakers to accelerate delivery at the pace and scale required.”

This project is part of  collaboration, supported by the  a�Ի� . 

The post ‘Built environment is ‘dangerously behind’ in helping UK meet its carbon targets, UKGBC report warns appeared first on UKGBC.

The Climate Change Committee’s latest assessment confirms that Scotland has made meaningful progress in reducing emissions. But it also highlights a persistent and growing risk: the slow pace of decarbonisation across the building stock. 

Homes and workplaces remain one of Scotland’s largest sources of emissions, yet delivery at the scale and speed required is still not happening. As the Holyrood elections approach, the focus must shift decisively from ambition to implementation. 

The next Scottish Government will need to provide certainty through clear and enforceable standards, long-term funding commitments, and a joined-up approach that tackles fabric efficiency alongside low-carbon heat. Without this, Scotland risks falling behind on future carbon budgets and missing the opportunity to deliver warmer homes, lower bills, and a just transition for households and businesses alike.” 

UKGBC Policy Team Analysis

The CCC’s latest assessment of the Scottish Government’s progress in reducing emissions confirms that Scotland retains the ambition and many of the foundations needed to meet its climate goals with ‘credible plans’ and ‘plans with only some risks’ in place for 91% of the emissions reduction needed to achieve Scotland’s First Carbon Budget (2026 to 2030). It is encouraging to see progress on measures such as heat pump uptake (18% installation increase), electric vehicles and peatland restoration, and that credible plans are now in place for much of the First Carbon Budget.

However, the continued absence of detailed, long-term policy for decarbonising Scotland’s buildings remains a serious concern. Homes and workplaces are still one of the country’s largest sources of emissions, and current proposals are too high-level to give property owners, supply chains and investors the certainty needed to act at the pace and scale required.

The CCC��identified��buildings as a core priority for the next year: “A clear plan for��decarbonising��home heating. Funding announced in the Scottish Budget 2026-27 must be confirmed and extended beyond the next��financial year. The upcoming Heat in Buildings Strategy and Delivery Plan should be published as soon as possible this year and could include a combination of continued financial support, regulation, skills��development��and public engagement. Clear plans for heat networks are also needed. It should include minimum energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes and a strategy for��decarbonising��tenements, which make up around 25% of Scottish homes.”��

An��effective��Heat in Buildings��agenda must��provide clear and enforceable standards, long-term funding certainty,��and a whole-building, whole-system approach that reduces emissions while improving affordability,��comfort��and health,��particularly for households in fuel poverty. This should include area-based retrofit programmes, strong��minimum��standards across all tenures (including non-domestic buildings),��clarity��on��heat��networks, and sustained investment in skills and supply chains.��

With��the Holyrood elections approaching, there is a critical opportunity for Scotland’s political leaders to move from ambition to delivery.��UKGBC��and��our members stand ready to work with the next Scottish Government to accelerate action across the built environment and help Scotland re-establish itself as a climate leader.��

Scottish Policy

While the climate crisis affects the entire UK, each nation and local area has its own journey to a net zero future. As a whole-UK organisation, UKGBC ensures that we deliver policy solutions and advocacy for Scotland’s unique political environment and strong industries.

Learn more

The post UKGBC responds to the CCC’s Scotland Progress Report appeared first on UKGBC.

Today, we launched the Framework for a Nature Positive Built Environment, providing the sector long-needed clarity on how to translate the global ambition to halt and reverse nature loss into practical, scalable action.

The launch comes at a moment of escalating urgency. The UK Government’s National Security Assessment has identified biodiversity loss and ecosystem breakdown as a national security risk, with implications for economic stability, supply chains, food security and community resilience. Against this backdrop, the role of the built environment in protecting and restoring nature is one of the front-line solutions to the crisis.

While “nature positive” is now a widely recognised goal, the sector has lacked a shared, credible definition and a consistent approach to delivery. This has led to fragmented action and uncertainty about what good looks like in practice. The new Framework addresses this gap, aligning the built environment with the global nature-positive goal and setting out clear pathways for action across organisational strategy, asset management and development activity.

The Framework positions nature as a core consideration for resilience, value creation and long-term asset, financial and operational performance. From land use and construction to supply chains and materials, the built environment both depends on and impacts nature. As climate and nature risks intensify, ecosystems are now recognised as critical infrastructure – they provide essential services – reducing flood and heat risk, strengthening supply chains and supporting health and wellbeing.

Simon McWhirter, Chief Executive of UKGBC, said:

“Nature is the very foundation that underpins our economy, our safety and our wellbeing, not just an optional extra for the built environment. The impacts of nature loss are already visible in rising operational and insurance costs, disrupted supply chains and mounting climate risk.

This Framework gives the sector the clarity it has been missing. It sets out what ‘nature-positive’ means in practical terms and how organisations can act now, embedding nature into decision-making, investment and delivery, rather than treating it as a nice-to-have.

Nature-positive action also drives enhanced finance and value. There is a growing opportunity to mobilise investment at scale into homes and places that work better for people, nature and the economy.”

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

“This Framework is designed to support real-world decision-making across the built environment. It shows how organisations can embed nature-positive outcomes into strategy, governance and investment, while also guiding project teams through the practical actions needed at asset and development level.

By taking a whole-lifecycle approach, the Framework helps the sector move beyond isolated efforts towards consistent, credible action that restores and regenerates nature at scale, while complementing greater resilience and adaptive capacity overall.”

What the framework delivers

The framework provides a common foundation for credible and consistent action, including:

A clear, sector-specific definition of what nature-positive means for the built environment

Actionable pathways across the full asset lifecycle, from organisational strategy and governance to planning, design, construction, operation and end-of-life

Alignment with global and UK frameworks and standards, including TNFD, SBTN and ACT-D, supporting credible target-setting and disclosure

Practical guidance that can be embedded into organisational strategy and asset and development delivery across the full lifecycle

A pathway that moves beyond minimising harm to actively restoring and regenerating nature

It supports action at both organisational level and at asset and development level, guiding teams to avoid irreversible harm, minimise impacts and deliver net-positive outcomes for nature.

The Framework was co-developed by UKGBC and an expert Task Group of 33 organisations from across the built environment, supported by wider industry engagement through workshops and formal consultation. The result is a robust, credible and sector-owned approach designed to support leadership, reduce greenwashing risk and enable action at any starting point.

������Ƶ calling on developers, asset owners, designers, consultants and the wider supply chain to use the Framework to integrate nature recovery into mainstream planning, design and operations, and to help shape the policy and market conditions needed to deliver nature-positive outcomes at scale.

Resilience, Resource Use & Nature Partners

Our climate change adaptation work is supported by our Resilience, Resource Use & Nature Partners.

Framework for a Nature-Positive Built Environment Project Partners

Thank you to the generous support of our project partner.

Nature

Nature is in crisis.�� The built environment has a critical role to play in protecting and restoring nature and moving to a regenerative model of development.

View more

The post UKGBC launches Framework to accelerate a nature-positive built environment appeared first on UKGBC.

Key trends highlighted in the report include:

Increased focus on resilience

This includes not only climate resilience, but social and financial resilience, shaping design, investment and operational priorities.

A move towards action

With more organisations entering the implementation phase of transition plans, exposing the gap between strategic ambition and the realities of delivery.

From values to value

Clients and investors are increasingly demanding proof of commercial, social and environmental returns, shifting the sustainability conversation from principles to performance.

Technology development

Rapid advances, particularly in AI, offer powerful tools for optimisation and decarbonisation, while introducing new energy, water and resource challenges.

Scaling-up

Innovation in materials, construction systems and digital platforms continues to expand, but adoption remains constrained by capacity, trust and fragmented markets.

Grid capacity and energy systems

Despite substantial national investment, local constraints and long connection queues persist. With growing battery storage and buildings acting as active energy assets, the built environment’s role in system flexibility continues to increase.

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

As a network that brings together innovators, practitioners and thought leaders from right across the built environment, ������Ƶ uniquely placed to spot the shifts shaping our sector. This report distils the insights we hear every day from our members, partners and industry who are working at the leading edge of delivery. We publish it each year to help industry navigate complexity and to shine a light on the solutions and approaches gaining real traction.“

Emily-Rose Garnett, Senior Advisor – Solutions & Innovation, UKGBC, said:

The insights in this report are grounded in what we’re hearing on the ground: organisations working out how to responsibly use technology and AI, scale retrofit, close performance gaps, rethink materials, engage supply chains and build climate resilience. It paints a picture of an industry that is working to transition from intent to action, but grappling with the challenges required to achieve this. As we enter 2026, our hope is that industry and government recognise the scale of the opportunity ahead, and the transformative impact we can unlock through collective action.” 

Solutions & Advisory

At UKGBC we take a collaborative approach to identify and showcase innovative solutions and support with their scaling and implementation.

Learn more

The post UKGBC Trends Report signals growing focus on resilience across the built environment appeared first on UKGBC.