Save Now, Pay Later – The Net Zero Conundrum

Who foots the bill for net zero? That’s one of the big unresolved questions of the age according to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee. Should the burden fall on current energy bill payers or on future generations?

There’s a similar dilemma for new building programmes; Is it reasonable to minimise capital expenditure now by prioritising cost over net zero carbon – knowing that somebody, at some time, will have to pay for an energy efficiency upgrade?

That’s ignoring the fact that retrofitting better insulation at a future date will do nothing to reverse the additional operational carbon emitted in the meantime. Nor will it address avoidable embodied carbon emissions generated by the initial build. In fact, depending on the retrofit technology, there may be an additional embodied carbon cost.

We have to recognise the reality that these issues are complex and there are competing priorities. So, perhaps the first step is for anyone commissioning a new building to be clear about the decisions they are making regarding carbon costs.

Somewhere in the business plan there has to be a cost line for meeting net zero – and it may well be a much lower cost to take care of it up front.

Time to Address Rules and Standards?

The industry is used to a procurement regime where the lowest bid that meets the specifications and building regulations usually wins. So one option would be to raise the specification bar to ensure that both operational and embodied carbon levels are fully accountable and non-negotiable.

Another option is to update building regulations for the modern age. This will inevitably happen at some point. Energy efficiency standards for new buildings will become stricter and more enforceable.

But what happens in the meantime? Is it better to place a higher priority on minimising capex costs in the short term, or to help everyone by making a contribution to net zero carbon right now?

As we said earlier, knowing that there’s a decision to be made is the first step. You also need reliable data to properly evaluate different options. You can get this from Innovaré’s carbon calculator tool. By working with Innovaré as a partner you also get access to technology and methods proven to deliver low carbon construction cost-effectively.

Contact (enquiries@innovaresystems.co.uk) for more information or take a look at our resource centre.