Net-zero feels like the ultimate green goal for our buildings to reduce their collective impact on the environment. Currently responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, the decarbonization of the buildings sector has long been seen as one of the most effective ways to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The reality, however, is that net-zero is not that easy to achieve and very few buildings can truly claim to be fully net-zero over their entire lifecycle. The solution may be technical in practice, but can only be brought about by a significant shift in governmental policy towards buildings and the environment. “Climate change is undoubtedly the greatest challenge of our times. We need to take urgent action to almost halve global emissions by 2030 and eliminate them completely by the middle of the century,” says Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC. “It is in this context that the term ‘net-zero carbon’ has started […]