The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has shared details of its CO2nstructZero Performance Framework – the first very public commitment to reducing carbon at a sector-wide level, as well as a series of metrics to assess industry performance.

The result of extensive feedback, with over 2,500 comments received from the industry, the Framework outlines a series of commitments, mapped to the nine carbon reduction priorities shared by the CLC in March 2021.

These include a two-third (66%) drop in construction product emissions by 2035, more than three-quarter (78%) drop in diesel use on sites, and commitments to connecting to public and active travel while minimising energy demand and emissions, in new designs for homes and commercial buildings.

In addition, the CLC has committed to quarterly reporting on these metrics. ACE  is an active member of the CLC and supports the work of the cross-industry group.

Construction Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan welcomed the publication of the framework. She said: “The Performance Framework provides Government and Industry with a sector-level dashboard on progress towards net zero, aimed at enabling businesses to action progress and encouraging those outside the sector to take the key steps on the broader journey to net zero. It’s important that the sector holds itself to account for the commitments it has made; the Performance Framework will enable the industry to do this, reporting progress on a quarterly basis, building on existing publicly available data.”

ACE member Mott MacDonald’s carbon management discipline lead, Mark Crouch, said: “Delivering Net Zero is an urgent priority for our business and decarbonising infrastructure is an agenda we have been leading on for many years. The construction sector must take a leading role in delivering the infrastructure required to transform our economy to Net Zero, and in ensuring that this infrastructure is planned, designed and delivered in a low or zero carbon way.

“Having measurable metrics for the construction sector and a clear direction of travel is crucial, so we believe the new Construct Zero Performance Framework will be an important tool for decarbonising the sector.”

Download the Performance Framework in full. The headline commitments:

• More than three quarters (78%) of diesel plants to be eliminated from construction sites by 2035.
• Planning applications from the sector must connect to public/active transport and include EV charging where parking is provided from 2025.
• Working with Government to retrofit 27 million homes by 2040.
• All new buildings will be designed with low carbon heating solutions from 2025.
• New homes and buildings will minimise energy demand and reduce emissions in operation by 75% (dwellings) and at least 27% (commercial buildings) compared to current standards from 2025.
• Every person buying from the sector, whether a business or a member of the public, will be provided with carbon data to make informed lower carbon choices by 2030.
• We will give all our clients the chance to become net zero by offering alternative Net Zero design options to clients, even if not scoped, from 2022.
• Reduce construction product emissions by two thirds (66%) from 2018 levels by 2035.
• We will target 1,500 of the sector’s businesses and clients to sign up to a measurable carbon reduction plan, such as the Race to Zero, Science based targets or Climate Hub, by 2025.

Find out more at the Construction Leadership Council (CLC).