There is no doubt that the next five to 10 years will be crucial in delivering net zero carbon cities, towns, and assets. This is no longer a choice; we must start that journey right now if we’re to stand a chance of reaching the 2050 targets. Our future generations depends on it.

Asset management plays a fundamental role here. While we are celebrating the progress being made in delivering new net zero carbon buildings, we should not forget that getting under the bonnet of how we deliver net zero on existing buildings is the real challenge, given that 80% of the buildings we’ll be using in 2050 have already been built. Understanding the capital required for retrofitting and executing this in an economically just way are just some of the difficulties encountered by our industry.