Should we care about Net Zero?
All responsible Governments are now committed to achieving net zero carbon economies, some by 2050.
Should we care!
The aims and objectives of the net zero programmes will be met by taking action on all fronts including government legislation, product innovation, energy conservation and most important individual action taken by all.
The carbon emissions (green house gas) are created from a process, this being burning and or using fossil fuels to create energy, consuming energy that has been provided by the former process or can be locked into products or buildings that will only be released when these come to the end of their life. This is described as embodied carbon.
”To achieve net zero means having an equilibrium between the carbon consumed and released and the carbon credit gained in the process. So, for example using concrete in the building process will generate a high embodied carbon content as opposed to using timber which has a low carbon embodiment.
The building or material supply chain must be sustainable and energy efficient.
The building regulations are used to control and govern the use of materials and processes, they are broken down in different parts specific to end use and are there to make sure we improve our efficiency in the use and the process of building.
Revision to Part L has just been published and is now to be used by all involved, it sets the standard for energy efficiency and carbon emissions.
It is recognised that the construction industry has to adapt to using different and sustainable methods of construction which is challenging as the materials used have different thermal properties. This means that Concrete and brick will have difficult time as opposed to timber, glass, and some metals.
Moreover, house builders, developers and clients must ensure compliance with part L to create more low carbon and energy efficient homes.
Elsewhere Part Q Security has already been published and this has had a dramatic effect on the performance of doors and windows and their ironmongery specifications. The improvements have had a beneficial effect on the thermal insulation of the products so that Houses and buildings will be warmer and less costly to run.
It seems that the desire is there to meet our net zero targets but already there is a question over the cost of achievement, the energy watch dog is currently asking the government for the cost of switching from current methods of energy production to green methods like wind, solar and nuclear.
We must all be aware of the fallout following the Grenfell Tower disaster and therefore the need for stricter building standards.
There is now a growing demand for higher specifications and product/process testing.
As providers of high-quality timber windows and doors (carbon negative over their projected life) we feel that we are well placed to help our customers contribute to the target of net zero by 2030.
