GUEST ARTICLE: How the built sector needs to think more carbon zero

This guest article sees Charlotte Whincup, Director and Co-Owner of Bloom Building Consultancy, talk to SFG20 at their first Virtual Summit. Topics of discussion include the race to carbon net zero and how the built environment needs to accelerate their efforts…

Q1) What are the biggest challenges building owners, facilities managers and engineers experience in the race to net-zero?

I think depending on who you ask in the industry, they will all claim different challenges from a consultancy point of view, especially challenges in getting clients on board with net zero. Unless they have a high-level strategy or policy in place that says they are going to be net zero by a specific date, and therefore have a goal to reach, there’s nothing to encourage them. If their clients, customers and tenants aren’t pushing them for it, why would they change?

For so long, sustainability has been talked about as an add-on. In many cases, unless there is a financial incentive to do it, many clients aren’t inclined to do something for a badge of honour. Unless they can show it on their bottom line and show that it pays back within a set time period, it’s a difficult argument to win.

The time you will see changed behaviour or attitude is when regulations are introduced. At the moment, there is no regulation by the UK Government for carbon accounting, for example. There are processes in place, such as in the Approved Documents, for levels of energy efficiency, and how well a building needs to be insulated, but there’s nothing that states that when you build a building, your embodied carbon cannot be higher than ‘X’ amount per meter square, for example. These are the intricacies that the Government needs to introduce to get businesses on board.

Q2) We know it’s a race to net zero, so why are these regulations not being implemented?

In all honesty, I’m not sure. Keir Starmer has stated that he’s aiming to reduce our emissions by 80% by 2035. That is an enormous statement to announce. How is that going to be implemented?

So, if it does go into regulation, before they do that, they have to make sure that those who own those properties will actually be able to afford to do it because it’s a big financial undertaking in some cases. It’s really, really tricky. I believe this is why, up until this point, it has been left to organisations such as the RICS, RIBA, the Carbon Trust and the UK Green Building Council to work together to do it themselves.

It’s so difficult because it’s not a linear process, e.g. you follow this regulation, implement it, and then you’re left with the intended result. We can always try and do the best that we can, but really, we should have been doing this 20 years ago. I do sometimes worry that this is the stance that some clients take because they ask  ‘What’s the point? I’m not going to see the change in my lifetime.’ You’ve got to think bigger than that and do your part.

Q3) How can facilities management companies create a more sustainable workplace? 

In terms of their workplaces, it comes down to general business practice. It’s looking ahead and understanding how your workforce operates, so that you’re making changes to the areas that will actually make a difference. Making sure that in your office space the lights are on sensors, the heating isn’t on at all hours of day, making sure you haven’t got the heating on with the window open, or the AC on with the window open. Really basic things that will go a long way in making your office space and working environment more sustainable.

Q4) How can facilities managers be more carbon efficient with their buildings?

It comes down to understanding how the building works and how it is utilised. There has always been a disconnect between how a building is designed and how it is used, because there’s rarely a feedback loop. Buildings are often being designed in one way, but being utilised in another. We must be looking into what changes need to be made to ensure this doesn’t cause a problem.

Understanding that it is more than looking at an asset’s emissions and seeking to reduce them is crucial. This, of course, has a part to play, but professionals in the built sector need to have a wider picture of why emissions are at the level they are and where the issues stem from. 

Q5) How does your consultancy approach the challenge of achieving carbon net zero in building projects?  

Realising what the client wants from their project as a whole, what outcomes they want, and understanding the client’s requirements from day one. There is no point in getting six months down the line and the client asking to add solar PVs or change the type of heat pumps used. Those changes can, most definitely, be made, but they will come at an extra cost due to designers having to go back to the drawing board. I would say it’s much better to begin with an optimistic or a challenging target, and break it down, rather than having to add elements later down the line. 

From a consultancy point of view, push as hard as you can because we’re the technical specialists, we should be the ones that are really driving it.

Q6) What trends are you observing in the industry regarding sustainability and Net Zero commitments? 

For a while, there was a huge trend around EPCs because that was when all the relevant regulations were changing. There’s always the challenge that EPCs are a snapshot of the building, rather than a bigger picture of how the building functions. At the moment, there is still some focus on the certifications because when it comes to landlords letting their spaces, that is a selling point. 

We are finding that some of our clients are demanding more of us as a company and what we are doing as a business, rather than the impact we can have on the actual projects themselves. 

At the moment, the industry not only has access to the second edition of the Whole Life Carbon Assessment from the RICS, but we also have the pilot version of the Net Zero Carbon Building Standards. I do hope that this will be approved as for our larger clients, they will be reporting on their carbon emissions, annually. So, anything they can do to demonstrate that they’re attempting to reduce those emissions is a positive. There is a change, it’s just a slow change as is always the case with the construction and property industry. 

Q7) What advice do you have for navigating regulatory requirements and certifications related to carbon net zero? 

1) Admit to when you’ve reached your limits of knowledge. If there’s something you don’t know, look it up because it’s only going to serve you better in the long term.

2) Make sure that you’re doing the research and understand what is being asked of you – don’t make any assumptions. There’s no stupid question. I always used to say to my grads: ‘If you’ve got a question please ask, I’d much prefer for you to ask me upfront, rather than six weeks down the line when the project’s already on site and there’s a whole lot of undoing to do. The sooner you know something, the better.’

Q8) You recently became an Associate member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. How has this position impacted your career and your approach to sustainability in the built sector?

This was a qualification that I’d had my eye on for some time – it’s with a different governing body to the RICS certification. I wanted a broader view of sustainability, as a whole, and I think, from the point of view of a running a business, it has made me look at sustainability more holistically. Everything I do is property and asset-related, and it would be very easy for me to only look at the environmental side of things, and I wanted a broader view of everything and the impact. 

In terms of helping to run a business, the AIEMA qualification is about how a business can be managed sustainably. It looks at the three pillars: economic; environmental and social. It takes into account all aspects of a business’s operations as a whole, rather than exclusively the environmental side.

Q9) Why do you think SFG20’s work is important in the built sector’s journey to net zero?

It comes down to ensuring maximum engagement from the sector. It is very easy for each individual specialism, whether that’s facilities managers, asset managers, building surveyors, etc. to focus on one area and avoid the wider issues. What we must remember is that among all the different specialisms, there are people working towards a shared goal.

As long as knowledge continues to be shared and conversations continue to take place, the shared goal of net zero becomes much clearer.  Hosting events such as the virtual summit, where professionals from across specialisms can exchange thoughts, helps you realise that you are not alone in this race.