Net Zero Programme - Looking forward to a sustainable future
Updated 24 August 2023
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1. Looking Beyond Carbon Emissions
We are leading the Government’s drive towards emissions reduction across its office portfolio.
In late 2020, we established a Net Zero Programme to:
- improve energy efficiency (reduce consumption)
- increase the use of green energy (decarbonise)
- generate and store green energy (locally)
- reduce embodied carbon (in construction) for the Government’s office portfolio
But are also going beyond just reducing carbon emissions:
- minimising consumption of energy, water and waste
- improving resilience to climate change (temperature change, flood risk etc.)
- reducing carbon embodied in construction
1.1 Looking forward to a sustainable future
The Government has made the additional commitment to achieve a 78 percent reduction in carbon emissions across the public sector by 2035 (against a 2017 baseline). Leading by example when it comes to making buildings Net Zero and sustainable, we are committed to reaching the same target (to reduce emissions by 78 percent by 2035) for Government offices - the ones that we manage - by 2032, three years ahead of the Government’s target.
The property industry as a whole faces many unique challenges in the journey to Net Zero. By looking beyond carbon emissions, it’s clear there are opportunities to take great strides in achieving a carbon neutral society.