Zero carbon timeline

Is your head full of sustainable targets, legislation and plans? In an effort to weave a path through the maze of red tape and ambition that are overwhelming those working in sustainable development we bring you a new timeline charting future laws and targets that will hit the sector over the coming decades. This will be continually updated as and when new legislation comes in or future plans are changed or amended. Our thanks to Fulcrum Consulting for helping us put together the timeline. There is an attached document with the firm's housing chart for future legislation on dwellings.

2007

• End of the year – first draft of code for non-residential buildings (UK Green Building Council)
• 31 December – 50% of construction projects by value should be undertaken by integrated teams and supply chains (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• To set in place a clear timetable and action plan to deliver significant reductions in carbon emissions from new commercial buildings within the next 10 years. (Communities and Local Government)

2008

• Introduction of Energy performance certificates (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• 60% of all publicly funded or PFI projects, with a value in excess of £1 million, to have used the Design Quality Indicators or equivalents. (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• Proposed new target - 20% of all projects, with a value in excess of £1 million to have used the Design Quality Indicators and BREEAM or equivalents, and achieve an excellent rating. (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• 100% of construction new build projects on Government estate will meet BREEAM excellent standard or equivalent (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• From April 2008 - New homes built with English Partnerships or Housing Corporation funding to achieve a 25% improvement over current building regulation requirements in terms of carbon emissions (Code for Sustainable Homes)
• April 2008 – New water targets for new homes built with English Partnerships or Housing Corporation funding. Must meet Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes of 105 litres per person per day (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• April 2008 - Code for Sustainable Homes assessment to become mandatory for every new home (Subject to consultation) (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• 6 April 2008 - Energy Performance Certificates required for buildings over 10,000m sq
• Spring 2008 - Publication of standard for measuring embodied greenhouse gas impacts of products and services from Defra, Carbon Trust and the BSI (BSI global )
• July 2008 - Energy Performance Certificates required for buildings over 2,500m sq
• Summer 2008 - Complete review of Government's construction procurement strategies (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• 1 October 2008 - Energy Performance Certificates required for all buildings over 1,000m sq
• Amendments to building regulations to introduce a whole building performance standard for new homes, to be set at a target level of 125 litres/head/day. (Draft Government Construction Strategy)

2009

• 4 January - Energy Performance Certificate required in Scotland when selling or leasing to prospective buyers or tenants of a commercial building over 1,000m sq m
• Developer British Land plan to go carbon neutral (British Land)
• 1 April – New timber laws to ensure all sources are licensed. (Draft Government Construction Strategy)

2010

• UK targeting 25% energy and carbon improvement for building performance (Communities and Local Government)
• Wates targeting 100% non hazardous waste diverted from landfill (Wates)
• The Mayor’s Energy Strategy commits London to reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide by 20% (London Government)
• Increase the general level of energy efficiency of residential accommodation in England by at least 20% - (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• Government departments to increase their energy efficiency per square metre by 15% (UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan 2007)
• 50% of products to have type III Environmental Product Declarations (proposed) (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• 50% of buildings and construction schemes over £1m in value to use stewardship and responsible sourcing principles (proposed) Draft Government Construction Strategy)

2010-2011

• UK target to reduce carbon emissions on the central Government office estate by 12.5%. (UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan 2007)

2012

• Marks & Spencer target to go carbon neutral – (Marks & Spencer)
• Strategic Forum’s sustainability task force aim to halve overall construction waste to landfill. (Strategic Forum)
• Central Government's office estate to go carbon neutral by 2012 (UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan 2007)
• 30 September - Stamp Duty relief for new zero carbon Homes. (HM Revenue & Customs)

2013

• UK targets a 44% energy and carbon performance improvement (Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development - Communities and Local Government)

2015

• 1 April – Stricter timber laws permitting only legal and sustainable timber (Draft Government Construction Strategy)
• UK target of zero net waste at construction site level – (Wrap)

2016

• Zero carbon for new homes law (Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development - Communities and Local Government)

2020

• EU target to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% (European Union Portal)
• Government departments to increase their energy efficiency per square metre by 30% (UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan 2007)
• UK target to reduce carbon emissions on the central Government office estate by 30% (UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan 2007)
• Reduce UK water consumption by 25% (UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan 2007)
• UK target of zero waste to landfill at construction site level. (Wrap)

2025

• Target to reduce London’s carbon dioxide emissions by 60% (exempting flights) London Government)

2050

• UK plans to cut CO2 emissions by 60% (The Climate Change Bill in the Queen's Speech)