Building for a Net Zero future: What clients need to know
The construction industry is evolving, with an increasing focus on sustainability and carbon reduction. Two key pieces of guidance – the LETI Client Guide for Net Zero Carbon Buildings[1] and the UKGBC’s Embodied Carbon: Developing a Client Brief[2] – offer vital insights into how clients can lead the way in sustainable development. At SHIFT Environment, we find that there is considerable room for improvement for new build developments, largely due to a lack of post-occupancy verification. There is also insufficient data on the materials used in construction, leading to limited understanding of the embodied carbon in new buildings. The graph below shows the performance of the most recent 40 SHIFT landlords with regards to their new homes. (As an indicator of the state of sustainability in new build homes our SHIFT assessment score new build developments out of 15. 0 points means very poor sustainability and 15 means the best sustainability available)[3]:
As the graph shows, ~65% of landlords SHIFT work with score 5/15 or lower. We find this is largely due to limited or no 3rd party post-occupancy verification of sustainability features which landlords state have been installed. It is very rare to get data on the materials used in the construction of new builds, meaning there is little to no data on the embodied carbon within these construction materials. To address this, understanding how to integrate Net Zero Carbon goals into project briefs is crucial.
The role of clients in Net Zero carbon buildings
The LETI Client Guide emphasises that clients are the driving force behind the transition to Net Zero Carbon. They influence everything from initial project goals to procurement strategies and long-term operational performance. Without strong client leadership, Net Zero ambitions can be diluted through the design and construction phases. By embedding clear Net Zero Carbon objectives at the outset, clients can ensure their projects align with future regulatory requirements and avoid the risk of stranded assets.
Key recommendations from LETI’s guide include:
- Developing a clear Net Zero Carbon brief that outlines measurable performance targets.
- Using life cycle costing rather than just capital cost analysis to assess long-term value.
- Embedding sustainability criteria in procurement processes to ensure alignment from contractors and suppliers.
- Undertaking post-occupancy evaluation to track actual performance and inform future projects.
Embodied carbon: The next big challenge
While much progress has been made in reducing operational carbon emissions, the UKGBC’s guide highlights the need to address embodied carbon—the emissions associated with materials extraction, production, transportation, and construction processes. With operational carbon decreasing due to more energy-efficient buildings, embodied carbon is set to account for an increasing proportion of a building’s total emissions. However, many clients we work with struggle to account for the materials used in their buildings, making accurate embodied carbon assessments difficult.
To tackle embodied carbon, clients should:
- Require embodied carbon assessments as part of project briefs and procurement criteria.
- Set clear reduction targets aligned with industry benchmarks such as RIBA and LETI.
- Prioritise circular economy principles, including material reuse and low-carbon material choices.
- Ensure transparent reporting by integrating embodied carbon assessments throughout project stages.
Why this matters for housing associations and developers
For housing associations and developers working with environmental consultancies, adopting Net Zero Carbon principles is not just about compliance – it’s about future-proofing investments. Unfortunately, many developments fail to track post-occupancy performance, making it difficult to verify if buildings operate as efficiently as designed. Without robust data collection, key insights are lost, leading to avoidable inefficiencies and higher emissions.
Energy-efficient and low-carbon homes are more attractive to tenants, reduce operational costs, and align with the UK’s decarbonisation targets. Moreover, as financial institutions increasingly favour green investments, projects that integrate Net Zero Carbon strategies will benefit from better access to funding.
Taking action: Steps for clients
- Set Net Zero Carbon as a non-negotiable goal from the earliest project stages.
- Engage with consultants, designers, and contractors who have proven expertise in delivering Net Zero Carbon buildings.
- Use whole life carbon assessments to inform design choices and procurement strategies.
- Implement robust post-occupancy evaluations to verify performance, sustainability features and close the gap between design and reality.
- Improve data collection on materials used in construction to enhance transparency and accountability.
By following the guidance from LETI and UKGBC and utilising the expertise of environmental consultancies, clients can lead the way in delivering truly sustainable buildings that benefit people, the planet, and long-term financial viability.
If you are interested in finding out more about new build sustainability and/or embodied CO2 of construction materials, please be in touch.
Photo by Josh Olalde on Unsplash
[1] https://www.leti.uk/_files/ugd/252d09_bb54ec7d9d934368a9f69dbc0d282902.pdf
[2] UK-GBC-EC-Developing-Client-Brief.pdf
[3] https://shiftenvironment.co.uk/news/shift-gold-accreditation-for-new-build-our-response/