Carbon neutral buildings
The Home Quality Mark One, Technical Manual SD239, England, Scotland & Wales, published by BRE in 2018 defines carbon neutral as: ‘Carbon neutral means that, through a transparent process of calculating building operational emissions, reducing those emissions and offsetting residual emissions, net carbon emissions equal zero. This includes carbon emissions from both regulated and unregulated energy consuming plan and systems. Also see the definition of zero net regulated carbon (CO) emissions.’
NB ‘The impact of sustainability on value’ published by JLL in March 2020 defines ‘carbon neutral’ as: ‘…offsetting emissions with payments either to avoid a reduction in emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere.’
The London Plan, Published by the Mayor of London in March 2016, defines carbon neutrality as: ‘Contributing net zero carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.’
Improving Consistency in Whole Life Carbon Assessment and Reporting, Carbon Definitions for the Built Environment, Buildings and Infrastructure, Version ‘A’, May 2021, published by WLCN, LETI and RIBA, defines carbon neutral as: ‘All carbon emissions are balanced with offsets based on carbon removals or avoided emissions.’
See also: Carbon neutral.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Achieving zero carbon.
- BPIE report urges EU to incorporate the carbon footprint of construction into policy.
- BRE articles.
- BREEAM.
- Building Back Better: Net zero carbon and BREEAM.
- Building Research Establishment.
- Carbon.
- Carbon emissions.
- Carbon negative.
- Carbon neutral.
- Carbon neutral contract.
- Carbon Neutral Islands.
- Climate Change Act.
- European decarbonisation and heating technologies beyond 2021.
- Half of public sector bodies not planning for net zero carbon.
- Home quality mark.
- Low or zero carbon technologies.
- Making Mission Possible: report on achieving a zero-carbon economy by 2030.
- Nearly zero-energy building.
- Net zero by 2050.
- Net zero carbon 2050.
- Net zero carbon building.
- Qualifying Explanatory Statement QES.
- Shaping Zero seeks carbon champions.
- What we need for the journey to net-zero carbon emissions.
- Wood and carbon.
- Zero Bills Home.
- Zero carbon homes.
- Zero carbon non domestic buildings.
Featured articles and news
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.
Biomass harvested in cycles of less than ten years.
An interview with the new CIAT President
Usman Yaqub BSc (Hons) PCIAT MFPWS.
Cost benefit model report of building safety regime in Wales
Proposed policy option costs for design and construction stage of the new building safety regime in Wales.
Do you receive our free biweekly newsletter?
If not you can sign up to receive it in your mailbox here.