Building Towards Net Zero ' Next Steps For The Construction Sector

• Published date: 05 July 2021
• Subject Matter: Real Estate and Construction, Construction & Planning
• Law Firm: Mills & Reeve
• Author: Carla Parsons and Stuart Pemble

Sustainability, net zero, ESG. All topics that are (or should be) at the top of every organisation's agenda. But many are confused about what they should be doing, and indeed exactly how we define net zero.

The general response from most environmentalists and climate change experts is that it is time for action, given that we are now in a climate emergency.

The UK government has targeted 2050 for net zero emissions (along with the Welsh and NI Assembly, and Scotland earlier at 2045), with a target of a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 announced in April this year. Many local authorities and public bodies have set targets earlier than 2050.

With so many clients reporting this as a priority, Mills & Reeve's construction team commissioned a report from Professor Sean Smith, Chair of Future Construction, School of Engineering and Director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure, Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh, together with Carla Parsons, an associate at the firm to research what considerations the construction sector need to think about now and in the future.

Professor Smith commented: "The general response from most environmentalists and climate change experts is that it is time for action, given that we are now in a climate emergency. The UK government has targeted 2050 for net zero emissions (along with the Welsh and NI Assembly, and Scotland earlier at 2045), with a target of a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 announced in April this year. Many local authorities and public bodies have set targets earlier than 2050."

Carla Parsons, co-author of the report, who also advised on the much anticipated report from UNTCAD (United Nations Conference on Trade Development) later this year, said: "It is critical that action is taken now in order to reach net zero by 2050, and the construction industry has a major part to play in reaching this target. It is not always obvious what needs to be done to get to net zero, or even what net zero is, due to the huge range of terminology we see being used in relation to carbon emissions.

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