This informal CPD article, ‘What is a whole-carbon policy, and how does it affect your building?’, was provided by Glass Aftercare, one of the leading commercial glazing specialists in the UK. We've pledged to work towards net zero emissions and set sustainability goals today to positively impact your building’s performance in the future.
Every one of us needs to do more to reduce our carbon footprint and the affect our actions have on the environment – and the construction industry is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. As building owners, developers and managers, we have important roles to play to monitor our environmental impact, with recent legislation and industry developments propelling our whole-carbon responsibility into even greater focus.
Providing evidence of energy efficiency
Net zero – also known as carbon neutrality – is a key topic that’s making traction in our industry. That’s partly because of the latest news from the City of London Corporation, which has announced it is introducing new planning guidance to determine the environmental impact of proposed developments.
Known as the Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Optioneering Planning Advice Note, this is the requirement for design teams and developers to provide information about the carbon impact of their proposals at pre-application stage, including stating the effect of a range of alternative development ideas for comparison. This means they will need to take a detailed review of the potential environmental impact of their builds – and ways they can reduce their carbon footprint – by carefully considering the whole-carbon lifecycle of their proposal before they submit their plans.
Monitoring your building’s emissions
Measuring the carbon impact of a new building or an existing property is a precise skill that must be carried out by an experienced company in order to be recorded accurately. A reputable and reliable business, will do this using data to verify and monitor your building’s emissions. Tools and techniques to do this include radiometric thermal camera systems, which investigate heat loss from your building’s facade (as well as from other areas of the property).
Once the information is gathered precisely, using the latest design data technologies, you will be able to assess your building’s carbon footprint. For new developments, this provides a benchmark for measuring current outputs and comparative figures for demonstrating required emission statistics.
For an existing building, it gives you clear data to work with, and pinpoints where, and how, you can reduce carbon emissions. This has a dual benefit. As well as helping you achieve your net zero performance goals, sustainable actions reduce your operational expenses, too, as improving your energy efficiency reduces your building’s running costs.
Working towards net zero has the overarching benefit of hugely reducing CO2 emissions to meet government targets and protect our environment. So, there’s never been a more important time to look after your building with carefully carried out and well-considered maintenance of your commercial glass and glazing.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Glass Aftercare, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
