17 April 2025 – London: The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS), a long-awaited framework aimed at defining and verifying net zero carbon performance in the built environment, is on track to officially launch by the end of 2025. Backed by a coalition of professional bodies, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the standard is positioned to become the definitive benchmark for evaluating the carbon impact of buildings across the UK.
The pilot version of the standard, published in September 2024, outlines 10 key aspects by which building projects will be assessed for their net zero carbon credentials. Since then, an ambitious pilot programme has been rolled out, involving 228 projects across various stages of development from early design (RIBA Stage 2) through to post-completion (Stage 7). These projects span a diverse mix of sectors, including housing, offices, schools, healthcare, laboratories, and data centres.
Each participating project has contributed approximately £2,500 and is now undergoing a rigorous programme of surveys, data collection, technical forums, and peer-to-peer learning. While none of these projects will receive official accreditation under the standard, the testing phase is seen as a critical step in refining the framework before its formal release.
Notably, the pilot cohort while officially anonymous is understood to include high-profile developments such as Benedetti Architects’ retrofit of the RIBA headquarters and Studio Hive’s transformation of the historic ‘erecting sheds’ at Silverthorne Lane in Bristol.
David Partridge, chair of both the UKNZCBS governance board and developer Related Argent, told AJ that the pilot is designed to capture diverse, real-world data:
"We are hoping that within six months we will capture enough data and feedback from all the projects, regardless of where they are and the different sorts of evidence [they offer]. That’s what we are trying to get out of this: enough data from real projects to ensure that when we publish version one … we have given it a real good tyre-kicking at every single stage and in every single sector."
In parallel, the UKNZCBS team is preparing a tender for a verification administrator, ensuring that when the full standard launches in late 2025, a system will be in place for buildings occupied for at least a year to apply for formal verification from January 2026.
The overarching aim of the UKNZCBS is to provide clarity and consistency in a space often clouded by competing definitions and accusations of greenwashing. Partridge emphasised that the standard is not just a tool for industry professionals but also a catalyst for broader systemic change.
He said, "The point of the UKNZCBS is to avoid confusion, to avoid duplication [of work], and to avoid greenwash. A single industry-recognised standard would also help the financial sector to incentivise and invest in net zero carbon buildings."
He added that there is hope the UK government will adopt the standard in future regulations possibly through a new Part Z of the Building Regulations or legislation mandating net zero carbon performance in all new developments.
As climate targets loom and investor scrutiny increases, the UKNZCBS could prove pivotal in reshaping how the nation designs, delivers, and verifies sustainable buildings.
