Can i build and shape in a way that a space is created while nothing is destroyed?”

It’s been exactly ten years since I stepped into the diverse, timeless world that is the building industry. Half a decade in India, the second half in the UK. My first orientation into this world came with hyperbolic statements – architects shape the future of how people live, move, and thrive. The influence of an architect extends across lifetimes. I remember hearing that and thinking, okay, sure, but also – me?

Since then, often my role was minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but it never felt insignificant. There’s always been a kind of responsibility in it, hope, and a stubborn optimism I can’t quite explain, which pulled me toward whatever came next. Across this decade I have learnt to really interrogate every decision I make. Quite soon into it, I started to question what “zero impact” on the environment translates into. Can I build and shape in a way that a space is created while nothing is destroyed? Or is that against the law of nature itself?

Coming from India and spending my first five years entrenched in what vernacular construction actually means – timber shacks in the Himalayas, mud houses in subtropical southern India to now working at a Scandinavian firm where climate-positive thinking is built into the ethos of everyday life; I have been lucky enough to look closely into two very resilient societies of its time: an India from a few hundred years ago that stood the test of time, and the Scandinavia of today.

That question ‘what does zero really mean’ – has followed me for a decade. Last year it followed me straight into a taskforce.

From drawings to decisions

As designers, we are trained to draw, model, calculate, and optimise. We are good at solving problems once the brief is set. At White Arkitekter, that brief is already framed by a strong, value-led approach- one that is firmly rooted in designing with a climate-positive lens and an understanding of architecture as a social and environmental act.

Through my time at UKGBC, I began to understand that the brief itself may be one of the most powerful design tools we have.

Working on the update of the 2019 Net Zero Framework meant stepping upstream away from individual projects and towards the rules, principles, and expectations that shape all projects. It meant asking the same questions I had always wrestled with but now, out loud: What does “net zero” really mean? Who decides? Who benefits? Who defines it, and what does it include? Hearing how differently stakeholders interpret net zero, in terms of scope and timelines, was revealing.

These questions directly shape what gets built, what cities become and the quality of the environment our lives unfold in.

Sitting at the table

One of the most defining aspects of this work at UKGBC was the people. The task group brought together experts from fifty organisations across the sector: architects, engineers, developers, contractors, academics and working with them was deeply inspiring.

It felt, at times, like being in a room of guardians. Stewards – people who care about doing the right thing, even when “the right thing” is harder, slower, or less convenient. Disagreement and tension were inevitable and necessary. Net zero is no longer a fringe ambition; it is technical, political, and even cultural. Reaching consensus required listening as much as leading.

One of the earliest and most telling disagreements amongst the group was over the name itself. The framework began life as an update to ‘’Net Zero Framework’’ from 2019 but as everyone worked through it, that title felt amiss. Net zero implies a single, calculable endpoint; the reality we were shaping was broader and messier: from the carbon locked into materials before a building opens its doors, to how it performs in use, to what happens to it decades later. We eventually landed on Whole Life Carbon, because it could hold all of that, and because it sat more honestly alongside the UKNZCBS it is meant to work with.

What we ended up with is structured around four delivery principles- minimising embodied carbon, optimising operational energy and water performance, managing residual emissions, and optimising the impact on the people who use these buildings: mapped against a building’s whole lifecycle, from upfront construction through to end of life. It also has a set of overarching principles: act now but stay adaptable, set clear objectives, hold ourselves accountable, and measure and disclose honestly. Instead of working as a checklist, it’s supposed to be a way of thinking.

Learning to speak policy

As an architectural designer and sustainability specialist, the learning curve was steep and exhilarating. I had to shed the comfort of project-specific thinking and adopt the skin of a policy writer. Someone who zooms out. Someone who understands that language matters. That a single word can open doors or close them for years. The work itself involved leading, writing, editing, coordinating, chairing discussions.

I learned that good policy is not about perfection, but about clarity, ambition, and usability. A framework that cannot be applied will be ignored. One that is too vague will be misused. Walking that line is what often kept me up at night questioning certain word choices.

Perhaps the biggest question that surfaced for me through this process was: how can we do better as a society? Not just through conversations that sit safely within professional echo chambers, but by reaching the clients, investors, and builders who make decisions every day and encouraging them to think beyond the next two years. This reframing feels critical, especially in cities like London, where the pressure to build quickly risks flattening identity, performance, and care.

The architect’s expanding role

the future of the built environment hinges on asking the right questions and answering them through a mix of policy, practice and collective responsibility.”

This experience has also reshaped how I see the role of architects in the climate transition. We are implementers of policy, but we can be co-authors of it too. We understand the consequences of decisions on the ground. We see where frameworks succeed, where they fail, and where they are quietly worked around. Architects are uniquely positioned to translate abstract targets into spatial, material, and human consequences.

Working with UKGBC has reaffirmed something I have long believed: that the future of the built environment hinges on asking the right questions and answering them through a mix of policy, practice, and collective responsibility.

It has been a privilege to contribute, even if in a small way – to a piece of work that asks the industry to do better, be braver, and think longer-term and to walk in the footsteps of the global movement led by the World Green Building Council.

I have gained sharper tools, a broader perspective and a deeper sense of responsibility now – which sit alongside my studio work, not just for the projects I work on, but to the systems that shape them.

I’m looking forward to watching people adopt the framework, stress-test it, and eventually build with it.

Explore the Whole Life Carbon Framework

This updated framework is a set of principles and actions to guide the minimisation of whole life carbon (WLC) and manage residual emissions across a building’s life cycle.

Learn more

The post Beyond the Brief: Rethinking the Architect’s Role in the Net Zero Transition appeared first on UKGBC.

What legacy does Starmer’s government leave behind for our sector?

One of the clearest successes was the publication of the Warm Homes Plan – the first long‑term national strategy of its kind, and something UKGBC and industry have long called for. With £15bn committed this Parliament, the plan finally set out a coherent approach to tackling fuel poverty, scaling heat pumps, expanding rooftop solar, and supporting low‑income households – but Starmer has stepped down just before the most important phase: delivery. The next government must build on this strong strategic platform, embedding real‑world lessons from local authorities, community groups and place‑based pilots, and ensuring resilience is not treated as an optional extra.

The Future Homes and Buildings Standard was another milestone. Starmer’s government chose the more ambitious option: no new gas boilers, mandatory rooftop solar, and improved energy efficiency for new homes. This shift will cut emissions from new build homes by around 75% and gives industry long‑awaited certainty. It’s a strong foundation, but there is more to do. Developers are already building to higher standards, and Burnham’s government will need to build on this momentum to close the gap on climate resilience, embodied carbon and long‑term affordability.

The Planning Bill passed, and the first update to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) made welcome improvements: stronger support for Local Plans, better design guidance, and encouragement of higher‑density development on brownfield land. But the reforms didn’t fully rise to the scale of the climate and nature crises. Climate, nature and community resilience still risk being treated as add‑ons rather than core principles. And the response to the latest NPPF consultation wasn’t completed before Starmer’s departure, leaving the new administration with the chance to provide clarity for local authorities and strengthen the planning systems role in delivering high‑quality, climate‑ready places.

Starmer’s government made meaningful progress on housing quality. The Renters’ Rights Bill, extension of Awab’s Law to the private rented sector, and reforms to the Decent Homes Standard will all strengthen protections for tenants. Crucially, MEES were strengthened across both private and social rented homes, aligning standards and tackling fuel poverty more consistently. The reform of the EPC system was another overdue improvement, moving toward multiple metrics and better alignment with modern policy priorities. Taken together, these reforms represent one of the most comprehensive boosts to housing quality in recent years.

For non‑domestic buildings, the long‑awaited uplift to MEES finally arrived: commercial buildings over 1,000m² must reach EPC B by 2031. After six years of delay, this announcement addressed a major uncertainty for industry and takes a significant step toward decarbonising commercial stock, but the job is not done yet. Burnham’s government should build on this progress, with in-use performance measurement and reporting, as well as measures like practical support for SME decarbonisation.

Despite welcome progress on retrofit and energy efficiency, Starmer’s government left a major gap on climate resilience. The CCC’s adaptation reports were unequivocal: the UK is not adapting fast enough, and action on resilience remains under‑resourced, under‑funded and fragmented. UKGBC’s Climate Resilience Roadmap sets out exactly what needs to change — clearer accountability, smarter investment, and integration of resilience across planning, building standards and retrofit. But national policy has yet to catch up. The Warm Homes Plan made a start with a nod to year-round comfort, but the UK still lacks a comprehensive adaptation strategy capable of protecting communities, buildings and infrastructure from escalating climate risks. This is one of the clearest opportunities for Burnham to accelerate progress.

Starmer’s government made a promising start on circular economy by commissioning a special task force, and on embodied carbon by responding to the AECOM report. However, we are yet to see the circular economy strategy, and there has been no further steps taken to regulate embodied carbon – leaving the new government with a well-defined area where further action could unlock major whole-life sustainability benefits for our sector.

For now, starmer’s legacy is a reminder that intent is not the same as action.”

The past two years have shown that high-level strategy can take shape quickly, but real-world delivery takes time. Industry is ready to invest, innovate and deliver, but only when government sets a stable course. As Burnham makes some welcome cabinet appointments and starts with promising policy interventions to address the cost of living by reducing the cost of electricity, the UKGBC policy team will be watching closely and preparing an analysis of what this new era means for our sector.

For now, Starmer’s legacy is a reminder that intent is not the same as action: his government established the right direction, made meaningful progress across many parts of the built environment, and leaves Burnham with a strong foundation to turn ambition into the tangible outcomes our homes and places urgently need.

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.

Learn more

Thank you to UKGBC’s policy partners for supporting our advocacy work this year.

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The built environment is��increasingly��being asked to deliver on climate��mitigation,��resilience��and nature��recovery��at the same time.��At a macro level, our current ways of working are not yet set up to do that, but��this summer’s prolonged heatwaves and wildfires across the UK show that we can’t wait for some future crisis to act; the impacts are already here, and we’re suffering nationally from our unpreparedness.��

It is this urgency that makes our BuildingLife Ambassadors campaign��so important.��Bringing together��expert practitioners and policy advocates��from across the sector, it��gives��industry and politicians a��crucial��message: that��decarbonisation, resilience,��and nature are interdependent, and��demand a joined-up response.��

Across the sector, the evidence base has strengthened��considerably in��recent years. Through UKGBC’s��own��work,��via our four pillars – of our��UK��Net Zero Whole Life Carbon and Climate Resilience Roadmaps, alongside our Nature Positive Framework and our forthcoming Regenerative Places Framework. Enlivened by insight from industry, academia and policymakers, we now have a far clearer picture of both the risks we face and the actions required.��

What we now face is��not primarily a knowledge problem, but��an implementation and coordination problem.

From evidence to integration

The direction set by that evidence is consistent. Decarbonisation, climate��resilience��and nature recovery are not separate agendas, but��interdependent outcomes of the same system.��

However, much of our delivery model still treats them independently, with old-school, siloed thinking and acting. Embodied carbon action��remains��largely voluntary��and is applied inconsistently. Investment in resilience continues to��lag behind��mitigation. Nature��recovery��is gaining��visibility but��is not yet embedded in core decision-making or long-term��financing, investment, and��asset strategies.��

This fragmentation is holding us back. It creates unnecessary trade-offs and, in some cases, locks in poor outcomes.

A building that meets a carbon target but cannot cope with heat or flood risk is not fit for the future. A development that supports nature but does not account for changing climate conditions will not deliver lasting value. Treating these issues separately leads to outcomes that fall short.

The reality we’re navigating

There are clear examples of leadership across the sector. Parts of industry, finance and local government are��demonstrating��what more integrated approaches can achieve.��

At the same time, there are significant political and economic challenges that continue to affect the pace and consistency of climate action, particularly in the UK.��Policy signals��remain��uneven, especially for existing buildings, where greater clarity is still needed.��

Progress is real, but it is patchy and too dependent on individual leadership rather than being built into how the system��operates.

A broader coalition

It is in this context that��our��BuildingLife��Ambassadors sit.��The��campaign brings together��practitioners, policymakers,��investors��and advocates from across the built environment. What connects them is a shared willingness to work across the boundaries that still shape much of our sector.��

Their role is to reflect and reinforce that way of thinking. To show what it looks like to treat the built environment as a system, and to work across the interfaces that too often hold progress back.��

The next phase of��the��built environment’s��transition must be��about aligning��the entire industry��behind��the evidence we now have.��Voluntary action across the industry has played a critical role in��demonstrating��what is possible, with many organisations already taking a more integrated approach to carbon,��resilience��and nature. The priority now is to build on that leadership by translating it into policy frameworks��and ways of working��that enable consistent, whole-system outcomes across the market, rather than siloed compliance.��This also requires far stronger coordination across the value chain, from national policy through to project delivery.��

Over the coming months, including through the perspectives of our��Ambassadors, we will continue to explore what this looks like in practice.��

The task ahead is straightforward to describe, but harder to deliver. A built environment that is low carbon, resilient and supports nature will only be achieved if we treat it as a single system and act accordingly.��

The post Joined-up by Design: Closing the Gap between Evidence and Action appeared first on UKGBC.

Agenda

• 5.00 pm – 5.15 pm – Registration and Networking
• 5.15 pm – 5.25 pm – Welcome and Opening Remarks
• 5.25 pm – 5.45 pm – Introduction: The role of Green Building Councils in accelerating a sustainable built environment.
• 5.45 pm – 6.05 pm – Mott MacDonald Spotlight – Sustainability leadership, climate resilience, low-carbon infrastructure and nature-positive approaches.
• 6.05 pm – 6.40 pm – Panel Discussion – Accelerating to Zero Together: What does sustainable building look like on the island of Ireland today?
• 6.40 pm – 6.50 pm – Audience Q&A
• 6.50 pm – 7.30 pm – Networking Reception

Speakers

• Pat Barry, CEO, Irish Green Building Council
• David Steen, Senior Policy and Commercial Advisor, ������Ƶ
• Adil Hussain, Net Zero Carbon Consultant, Mott MacDonald
• Ciarán Fox, Director, Royal Society of Ulster Architects
• Dr. Barry McCarron, Managing Director, KORE Retrofit
• Hope Lovelady, Associate Consultant and the Health Decarbonisation Lead, Mott MacDonald
• Jim Mulholland, Director, TODD Architects
• Ryan Young, Director, Sustainability, Delap and Waller

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Who Should Apply?

UKGBC forums are a membership benefit. This forum will be particularly appealing to constructors, developers, engineers, government, finance and investment and owners and occupiers.

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The announcement came after a visit by Martin McCluskey (Minister for Energy Consumers) to a central London office building owned by UKGBC keystone member Landsec. UKGBC Chief Executive Simon McWhirter also joined the tour with the Minister where Landsec demonstrated how targeted retrofit measures can transform the performance of existing buildings. The property has been improved from EPC D to EPC B via a series of interventions including swapping out all the gas systems for air-source heat pumps (providing both heat and cooling) and advanced building management systems. It represents a clear example of the role our existing building stock can play in delivering shared value through better building performance.

Get in touch if this affects your organisation or portfolio

Simon McWhirter said:

Today’s announcement is a really welcome step forward and provides the kind of policy certainty that we have long been calling for. Improving the performance of existing commercial buildings will be critical to meeting our climate goals, and greater clarity on future standards will help give the market the comfort and confidence to invest.

Many of our members are already showing what is possible, with retrofit projects that demonstrate both the technical and commercial case for action. Their experience will be invaluable as Government develops and embeds this policy to accelerate retrofit across the sector and give owners, investors and occupiers the confidence to invest. We look forward to working with ministers and officials on the next phase of this agenda, helping to shape the policy and market conditions required to deliver decarbonisation at scale.”

The visit highlighted the leadership being shown by organisations across UKGBC’s membership, such as Landsec, who have chosen to act ahead of regulation and invest in improving the performance of their assets.

While this announcement is an important milestone, further collaboration between industry and Government will be needed to deliver at scale. We look forward to working with policymakers and our member network on creating the right conditions to unlock commercial retrofit at scale, including finance and value, skills, and data, to support the transition to a more efficient, resilient and lower-emission building stock.

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.

Learn more

The post UKGBC responds to the MEES uplift 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.

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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.

View more

The post Whole Life Carbon Framework appeared first on UKGBC.

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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