COMMENT Buildings contribute to almost 40% of global carbon emissions. With over half of emissions coming from ongoing building operations it comes as no surprise that often the first port of call, in making progress towards net zero targets, is looking at reducing energy consumption or towards cleaner sources of energy.
While operational carbon contribution has been on the decline, embodied carbon – which has largely been neglected in comparison – has seen its contribution making up a greater proportion of a building’s carbon emissions.
To hit net zero targets, we need to call on stakeholders from across the industry to play a part in reducing the embodied carbon, not only from new buildings but also retrofits and dilapidations.
Brighter future
2020 will not go down as a good year, but there has at least been some positive impact on the environment. A 7% decrease in global carbon emissions was the largest relative fall since the second world war. The last clear global emissions drop was in 2009, during the financial crisis, and since then we have seen a rebound with carbon emissions growing on average 1.2% per year.
We are likely to see a rebound to pre Covid-19 levels. However, with a combination of new net zero commitments, major economies globally proposing green recovery plans, existing climate policies kicking in and as we rethink the new normal, we are provided with a unique opportunity to make long-term cuts to global carbon emissions.
In 2020, 40 (and counting) commercial property owners in the UK committed to publicly publishing their net zero carbon pathway as part of the Better Buildings Partnerships climate change commitment. Together, they are responsible for more than 500m sq m of commercial property.
Reimagining real estate
I believe there are three areas we can target to make the biggest immediate contribution to reducing embodied carbon – material sourcing, reducing waste both in manufacturing and onsite during a build (which also reduces transport), and circular fit-outs (breakdown and reuse at end of lease).
As more and more landlords and developers commit publicly to their net zero targets and strategy for getting there, this can help act as a gateway for commercial property owners to influence the supply chain by reviewing how and from where they are sourcing services and products.
Tenants are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their offices and fit-outs, which are often an area that carries a large carbon cost during a build and then again at end of lease, when further waste is generated at the dilapidations stage. And all of this, often only for a new tenant to come in and create further waste with an entirely new fit-out.
At Incube Space, the company I founded with George Johnston, we are on a mission to reimagine the built world and transform it from a major contributor of carbon emissions to a central solution of the climate change crisis. Looking forward, I see much greater engagement at an earlier stage of the relationship between landlords and tenants, and hopefully greater transparency, to help meet emissions targets. Let’s build back better together and spur a green recovery in real estate.
Rishi Chowdhury is co-founder and chief executive of Incube Space
