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Thursday 30 July 2020
Landsec unveils plans for net zero carbon building in ‘UK first’
Property developer Landsec has unveiled plans for what it hopes will be the UK's first net zero carbon commercial building.
The Forge, previously known as 105 Summer Street, is a 139,000 square feet office development in London and will be built and operated in line with the UK Green Building Council's (UKGBC) net zero carbon buildings framework and associated with energy performance targets.
Landsec says there is currently no building in the UK that has been verified in line with UKGBC's framework that is net zero carbon during both construction and operation.
The property developer, along with tech-led design practice Brygen Wood and design development and prototyping company Easi-Space, have been awarded funding from Innovate UK to deliver the project.
Mark Allan, Chief Executive, Landsec, said: “Our target is to be a net zero carbon business by 2030. That means we have to start making changes to the way we do things now. We know that property companies have a vital role to play in addressing the climate emergency. We’re clear, therefore, that our sustainability strategy must be deeply embedded in our development programme and we will continue to be ambitious in our approach.”
Construction activities account for a large part of the development industry's Scope 3 emissions – i.e. those that are a consequence of a company's actions but which occur at sources it doesn't own or control.
They include supply chain emissions from resource extraction, products manufacturing, transportation of materials and the assembly of a building.
Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC added: “40% of the UK’s carbon emissions are attributable to the built environment and so as a sector, we need to be pursuing aggressive rates of decarbonisation.
“The Forge is a ground-breaking development and testament to Landsec’s desire to tackle the climate crisis head on. Developers, construction firms, architects and occupiers must start working together at scale to deliver buildings like this that minimise whole life carbon and contribute to meaningful progress in the battle against climate change.”
