Building for Tomorrow embraces net zero challenges

Tackling embodied and whole life carbon is the “real challenge” ahead for the industry in delivering net zero homes, according to Richard Lankshear, programme director for the Future Homes Hub.

Speaking at NHBC’s Building for Tomorrow conference in Coventry, Lankshear said that as the housebuilding sector continued to reduce operational carbon in homes, “far more” of the carbon would come from that which is embodied- the carbon released when producing new homes.

Lankshear stated that “a lot” of embodied carbon could be found in materials as well as in their transportation and in ongoing maintenance and refurbishments of homes. “That’s our challenge now. How are we going to reduce our embodied carbon?”

The Future Homes Hub has created a free-to-use tool for housebuilders to measure embodied and whole life carbon, which will be available from next month. Previously, Lankshear said, data collected on embodied carbon to establish a baseline had been varied thanks to “conventions and defaults” within the industry, including different types of materials being used.

“We’ve determined the method so we can report on a consistent set of tools,” Lankshear said. He told the audience: “Then it’s up to you to report back to us …