As the climate change agenda gains traction with governments and politicians, individuals and businesses around the world are also thinking more about their carbon contribution. But what do people mean when they talk about the ‘Race to Zero’? And how can the housebuilding industry be one step ahead when it comes to sustainability?
Race to Zero is a global initiative, backed by science-based targets, to commit businesses, cities, regions, investors and universities to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Broadly speaking, there are four strategies to help us achieve this:
- Avoid: cease carbon-releasing activities
- Reduce: become more efficient with carbon-releasing activities
- Replace: substitute carbon-releasing activities with low or no carbon-releasing options
- Offset: for carbon-releasing activities that can’t be avoided/reduced/replaced, we introduce carbon-absorbing activities, for example, planting trees
In theory, by deploying a mix of these strategies, we can balance our carbon-releasing and carbon-absorbing activities to achieve net zero carbon.
But where does housebuilding fit into this?
The average UK home emits 4 tonnes of CO2 per year1. And when it comes to EPC rating – how energy efficient a building is – existing houses average a C-D rating, and new homes just about scrape a B rating2.
If we keep building the way we are, unsustainably, the environmental crisis will only get worse.
Being passionate about sustainability, we think a lot about our carbon contribution, and how we can help others live a zero carbon lifestyle. That’s why we’ve spent the past decade designing and building houses which create the perfect environment inside, without harming the environment outside.
Once built, our Zero Carbon Smart Homes™ emit 0 tonnes of CO2 per year and are always EPC rated A.
From the sustainable materials and smart home technology we’ve embedded into the fabric of our buildings, to the beautiful design, we have reinvented how the modern-day home is built. And in doing so, been able to create a sustainable solution to large scale housebuilding. So, as well as racing to net zero, we’re already helping people to Live Zero™.