UKGBC Task Group On Renewable Energy Procurement & Carbon Offsetting

Introduction to the Guidance

During 2018/19 the UKGBC brought together a task group to develop a harmonised understanding of what net zero carbon should mean for the UK building sector, as part of the Advancing Net Zero programme. In October 2019, specific sections relating to Renewable Energy Procurement & Carbon Offsetting were also published.

The task group developing the Guidance was supported by the housing, building, energy, and sustainability industries and included organisations such as The Sustainable Energy Association, RICS, and RIBA.

The Guidance focussed on encouraging emissions reduction and improved energy efficiency as priorities before offsetting, to reach net zero carbon for new and refurbished buildings. Whole life carbon reductions were a focus of the report, rather than just building or refurbishment stage or building projects. The Guidance was released as a public consultation to industry and the general public, with the option of submitting comments and questions in November 2020.

Guidance Sections

The Guidance document focussed on 5 key areas:

Net Zero In Operations: Fossil Fuel Use

• Ensuring new and existing buildings are ‘net zero ready’, and do not rely on fossil fuels.

Renewable Electricity Procurement

• Decarbonising the electricity grid while ensuring renewably sourced, verifiable emissions reductions to reduce the risk of greenwashing.

Carbon Offsetting – ‘High Quality’ Offset Principles

• Reducing and removing carbon emissions using verified and high-quality offsetting projects such as Gold Standard.

Allowable Carbon Offset Approaches

• Mitigating the risk associated with carbon credits by increasing their integrity. This is carried out by ensuring the following: I) Additionality, II) Avoid leakage, III) Measurable, IV) Real, V) Permanence, VI) Independently verified, VII) Unique, VIII) Transparency.

Carbon Accounting

• Understanding the different pathways through which carbon emissions and offsets can be measured and verified in a transparent and reliable way.

Outputs

The finalised Guidance is expected in March 2021 Overall, the Renewable Energy Procurement & Carbon Offsetting consultation finds that rapid and major decarbonisation of the building sector is necessary, and it has the greatest chance of being achieved if whole life carbon is reduced and energy efficiency is improved. Renewable energy credits and carbon offsets should play a larger role in the future of the building sector, if climate targets are to be achieved.