Sustainability of the built environment

Environmental Audit Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 25 Mar 2021 Closed: 26 Jan 2023 Parliament page
This inquiry will examine the sustainability of the built environment. It will look at the best routes to net zero for our future building needs from low carbon materials through to policies to minimise the whole life carbon impact of new buildings. Read the call for evidence for more detail … Read more
29 Recommendations
19 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
2 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 12 events
27 Oct
2022
Correspondence
30 Sep
2022
Report published
30 Sep
2022
Correspondence
26 May
2022
Report published
19 Jan
2022
Oral evidence
19 Jan
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
17 Nov
2021
Oral evidence
17 Nov
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
20 Oct
2021
Oral evidence
20 Oct
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
14 Jul
2021
Oral evidence
14 Jul
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Virtual meeting
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
19 Jan 2022
View on parliament.uk
Adam Mactavish · Currie & Brown Alexia Laird · Landsec Catherine Adams · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Damitha Adikaari · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Eddie Hughes · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities The Lord Callanan · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
17 Nov 2021
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Dr Joe Jack Williams · Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Elaine Toogood · MPA The Concrete Centre Louisa Bowles · LETI (London Energy Transformation Initiative) Michael H. Ramage · Centre for Natural Material Innovation, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge Rhian Williams · Greater London Authority Sam Liptrott · OFR Consultants, Fire and Risk Consultants Will Arnold · The Institution of Structural Engineers
20 Oct 2021
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Caterina Brandmayr · Green Alliance Dr Alice Moncaster · The Open University Dr Alice Owen · University of Leeds Dr Jannik Giesekam · University of Strathclyde Peter Conboy · igloo Regeneration Ltd Robert Lambe · Chartered Institute of Building
14 Jul 2021
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Dr Danielle Densley Tingley · The University of Sheffield Dr Tia Kansara · Kansara Hackney Ltd Emily Huynh · UK Green Building Council Jane Anderson · The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) Ms Phoebe MacDonald · Royal Institute of British Architects The Rt Hon. the Lord Deben · Climate Change Committee
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First report - Building to net zero: costing carbon in construct… HC 103 26 May 2022 48 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
9 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First report - Building to net zer…
We recommend that following the introduction of whole-life carbon assessments, the Government should develop progressively...
We recommend that following the introduction of whole-life carbon assessments, the Government should develop progressively ratcheted carbon targets for the built environment, to match the pathway to net zero set out in periodic carbon budgets. These ratcheting targets should be … Read more
Government Response
The government will explore the potential of a maximum embodied carbon level for new buildings in the future, but emphasizes the need for a robust evidence base of building-level whole life carbon data, while also citing the importance of territorial emissions reporting and urging other countries to raise ambition on tackling climate change.
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13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First report - Building to net zer…
We recommend that the Government should change the term embodied energy to embodied carbon in...
We recommend that the Government should change the term embodied energy to embodied carbon in the National Model Design Code and provide a clear definition of embodied carbon and whole-life carbon in the NMDC based on the WLCN, Building to … Read more
Government Response
The government is reviewing comments on the National Model Design Code and will assess these in light of reforms to the planning system, and are offering support on themes related to the coding process. However, they state that detailed guidance on how to assess embodied carbon should be defined separately to the NMDC.
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23 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First report - Building to net zer…
The Government must develop a coherent policy, joined up across Departments, to address the need...
The Government must develop a coherent policy, joined up across Departments, to address the need for increased tree planting to address biodiversity and climate change concerns and the need for sustainable commercial plantations using appropriate tree species to meet the … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights the England Tree Action Plan, the Nature for Climate Fund, and the Timber in Construction Working Group to design a policy roadmap, which will report before the end of this Parliament, but notes that further research is needed regarding safety implications and the realistic supply of domestic timber.
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Government Response AI assessment · 48 of 29 classified
Accepted 14
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 20
Deferred 8
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 2
Total 29 recs + 19 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
27 Oct 2022 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Local Government, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, dated 18 October 2022
Parliament page
30 Sep 2022 Chair to Secretaries of State BEIS and LUHC re: Sustainability of the built environment Government Response
Parliament page