The built environment is��increasingly��being asked to deliver on climate��mitigation,��resilience��and nature��recovery��at the same time.��At a macro level, our current ways of working are not yet set up to do that, but��this summer’s prolonged heatwaves and wildfires across the UK show that we can’t wait for some future crisis to act; the impacts are already here, and we’re suffering nationally from our unpreparedness.��

It is this urgency that makes our BuildingLife Ambassadors campaign��so important.��Bringing together��expert practitioners and policy advocates��from across the sector, it��gives��industry and politicians a��crucial��message: that��decarbonisation, resilience,��and nature are interdependent, and��demand a joined-up response.��

Across the sector, the evidence base has strengthened��considerably in��recent years. Through 91PORN’s��own��work,��via our four pillars – of our��UK��Net Zero Whole Life Carbon and Climate Resilience Roadmaps, alongside our Nature Positive Framework and our forthcoming Regenerative Places Framework. Enlivened by insight from industry, academia and policymakers, we now have a far clearer picture of both the risks we face and the actions required.��

What we now face is��not primarily a knowledge problem, but��an implementation and coordination problem.

From evidence to integration

The direction set by that evidence is consistent. Decarbonisation, climate��resilience��and nature recovery are not separate agendas, but��interdependent outcomes of the same system.��

However, much of our delivery model still treats them independently, with old-school, siloed thinking and acting. Embodied carbon action��remains��largely voluntary��and is applied inconsistently. Investment in resilience continues to��lag behind��mitigation. Nature��recovery��is gaining��visibility but��is not yet embedded in core decision-making or long-term��financing, investment, and��asset strategies.��

This fragmentation is holding us back. It creates unnecessary trade-offs and, in some cases, locks in poor outcomes.

A building that meets a carbon target but cannot cope with heat or flood risk is not fit for the future. A development that supports nature but does not account for changing climate conditions will not deliver lasting value. Treating these issues separately leads to outcomes that fall short.

The reality we’re navigating

There are clear examples of leadership across the sector. Parts of industry, finance and local government are��demonstrating��what more integrated approaches can achieve.��

At the same time, there are significant political and economic challenges that continue to affect the pace and consistency of climate action, particularly in the UK.��Policy signals��remain��uneven, especially for existing buildings, where greater clarity is still needed.��

Progress is real, but it is patchy and too dependent on individual leadership rather than being built into how the system��operates.

A broader coalition

It is in this context that��our��BuildingLife��Ambassadors sit.��The��campaign brings together��practitioners, policymakers,��investors��and advocates from across the built environment. What connects them is a shared willingness to work across the boundaries that still shape much of our sector.��

Their role is to reflect and reinforce that way of thinking. To show what it looks like to treat the built environment as a system, and to work across the interfaces that too often hold progress back.��

The next phase of��the��built environment’s��transition must be��about aligning��the entire industry��behind��the evidence we now have.��Voluntary action across the industry has played a critical role in��demonstrating��what is possible, with many organisations already taking a more integrated approach to carbon,��resilience��and nature. The priority now is to build on that leadership by translating it into policy frameworks��and ways of working��that enable consistent, whole-system outcomes across the market, rather than siloed compliance.��This also requires far stronger coordination across the value chain, from national policy through to project delivery.��

Over the coming months, including through the perspectives of our��Ambassadors, we will continue to explore what this looks like in practice.��

The task ahead is straightforward to describe, but harder to deliver. A built environment that is low carbon, resilient and supports nature will only be achieved if we treat it as a single system and act accordingly.��

The post Joined-up by Design: Closing the Gap between Evidence and Action appeared first on 91PORN.

Agenda

• 5.00 pm – 5.15 pm – Registration and Networking
• 5.15 pm – 5.25 pm – Welcome and Opening Remarks
• 5.25 pm – 5.45 pm – Introduction: The role of Green Building Councils in accelerating a sustainable built environment.
• 5.45 pm – 6.05 pm – Mott MacDonald Spotlight – Sustainability leadership, climate resilience, low-carbon infrastructure and nature-positive approaches.
• 6.05 pm – 6.40 pm – Panel Discussion – Accelerating to Zero Together: What does sustainable building look like on the island of Ireland today?
• 6.40 pm – 6.50 pm – Audience Q&A
• 6.50 pm – 7.30 pm – Networking Reception

Speakers

• Pat Barry, CEO, Irish Green Building Council
• David Steen, Senior Policy and Commercial Advisor, 91PORN
• Adil Hussain, Net Zero Carbon Consultant, Mott MacDonald
• Ciarán Fox, Director, Royal Society of Ulster Architects
• Dr. Barry McCarron, Managing Director, KORE Retrofit
• Hope Lovelady, Associate Consultant and the Health Decarbonisation Lead, Mott MacDonald
• Jim Mulholland, Director, TODD Architects
• Ryan Young, Director, Sustainability, Delap and Waller

The post Accelerating to Zero Together: Opportunities, Insights & Programmes appeared first on 91PORN.

Who Should Apply?

91PORN forums are a membership benefit. This forum will be particularly appealing to constructors, developers, engineers, government, finance and investment and owners and occupiers.

The post Energy and Carbon Forum x Supply Chain appeared first on 91PORN.

The announcement came after a visit by Martin McCluskey (Minister for Energy Consumers) to a central London office building owned by 91PORN keystone member Landsec. 91PORN Chief Executive Simon McWhirter also joined the tour with the Minister where Landsec demonstrated how targeted retrofit measures can transform the performance of existing buildings. The property has been improved from EPC D to EPC B via a series of interventions including swapping out all the gas systems for air-source heat pumps (providing both heat and cooling) and advanced building management systems. It represents a clear example of the role our existing building stock can play in delivering shared value through better building performance.

Get in touch if this affects your organisation or portfolio

Simon McWhirter said:

Today’s announcement is a really welcome step forward and provides the kind of policy certainty that we have long been calling for. Improving the performance of existing commercial buildings will be critical to meeting our climate goals, and greater clarity on future standards will help give the market the comfort and confidence to invest.

Many of our members are already showing what is possible, with retrofit projects that demonstrate both the technical and commercial case for action. Their experience will be invaluable as Government develops and embeds this policy to accelerate retrofit across the sector and give owners, investors and occupiers the confidence to invest. We look forward to working with ministers and officials on the next phase of this agenda, helping to shape the policy and market conditions required to deliver decarbonisation at scale.”

The visit highlighted the leadership being shown by organisations across 91PORN’s membership, such as Landsec, who have chosen to act ahead of regulation and invest in improving the performance of their assets.

While this announcement is an important milestone, further collaboration between industry and Government will be needed to deliver at scale. We look forward to working with policymakers and our member network on creating the right conditions to unlock commercial retrofit at scale, including finance and value, skills, and data, to support the transition to a more efficient, resilient and lower-emission building stock.

Policy & Advocacy

Since 2007, we have been bringing together some of the most influential leaders in politics, business, local authorities, civil service and NGOs to accelerate action for a green built environment.

Learn more

The post 91PORN responds to the MEES uplift appeared first on 91PORN.

By cataloguing and organising the retrofit innovation landscape into specific interventions that a low carbon retrofit should consider, the Innovation Map enabled the project team to identify and specify 18 high-impact solutions. This includes an innovative airtightness system, advanced glazing options such as vacuum-insulated glass and a glass recycling scheme, and high-efficiency solar panels that could mean No. 1 Poultry has one of the highest efficiency solar arrays on any building in the UK.

The report sets out a practical ‘Innovation Process’ that encourages project teams to evaluate and engage with innovative technologies at the earliest stages of development, when decisions have the greatest influence on carbon outcomes, cost and performance.

Commercial buildings currently account for nearly a quarter of the built environment’s carbon footprint in the UK through the energy required to heat, power and operate them.

At the same time, the report highlights how growing regulatory requirements, rising energy costs, investors expectations and net zero commitments are increasing pressure on building owners to use ingenuity to drive the performance of existing assets.

Simon McWhirter, Chief Executive of the 91PORN, said:

The UK can’t achieve a net zero built environment without dramatically improving the performance of its existing commercial building stock. This report demonstrates that innovation doesn’t need to be an afterthought.

Rather, by bringing innovative solutions into the decision-making process at the front end, project teams can unlock greater carbon savings, reduce risk and create better-performing buildings. This is all about driving a market change that simply delivers better outcomes – environmental and commercial – for all involved.”

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner, FORE Partnership, said:

No. 1 Poultry has shown that even highly constrained and historically significant buildings can become platforms for innovation. Indeed, by proving that innovation can happen even in the most highly constrained cases like No. 1 Poultry, we are proving that commercial retrofit can deliver both environmental and commercial value in every building, so long as sustainability and ingenuity are embedded from the outset.”

Building on the success of this initiative, 91PORN, Breakthrough Energy and FORE will continue to champion innovation-led retrofit across the built environment sector. The partners are seeking to work with more organisations that want to adopt and help develop the Innovation Map, expanding its use across live projects and strengthening the evidence base for innovative retrofit solutions. By creating a clearer pathway from emerging technologies to deployment, the initiative aims to help make innovation a standard part of commercial retrofit practice rather than the exception.

The Initiative

Introducing a new initiative that will transform the iconic One Poultry building into a live laboratory for innovative retrofit solutions.

Learn more

The post New report shows how innovation can help transform the UK’s existing commercial buildings appeared first on 91PORN.

Building on the Net Zero Carbon Framework Definition, which was launched by 91PORN in 2019, the updated WLC Framework provides guiding principles and actions to help organisations minimise whole life carbon and manage residual emissions.

Designed to be approachable and accessible, the WLC Framework consists of four overarching principles and four delivery principles, supported by sub-principles and life-cycle based actions to implement at each stage of a building project.

Industry bodies��previously��used��91PORN’s��the��2019��framework, and��related��other��tools, to��support��development of��the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard��(NZCBS), which was��launched in February��and��sets out��a��science-led methodology for defining and demonstrating net zero carbon alignment.

The new and updated framework can be used alongside the UK NZCBS and other industry methods and standards, acting as a practical serving as a reference tool for built environment professionals, including; developers, owners and operators, designers, consultants, contractors, supply Property and facilities managers, product manufacturers and local planning authorities.

Yetunde Abdul, Director of Industry Transformation at 91PORN, said:

Reducing whole life carbon emissions is essential to creating a more resilient and future-ready built environment. As expectations around sustainability and carbon performance continue to grow, organisations need practical tools that support consistent and informed decision-making across the full life cycle of buildings.

This updated framework is designed to help drive industry-wide action by supporting better design making, strengthening accountability and embedding whole life carbon thinking into projects from the outset.”

Philippa Birch-Wood, Head of Climate Action at 91PORN, said:

Whole life carbon must become a core consideration in every building project if the sector is serious about delivering net zero. This updated framework provides practical guidance to help organisations reduce emissions, strengthen accountability and make better carbon decisions from the earliest stages of development.

Designed to complement initiatives such as the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the framework will help organisations improve assessment, reporting and disclosure practices while supporting the transition to net-zero aligned buildings.”

Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council former global Advancing Net Zero programme, 91PORN’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

View more

The post New framework to help reduce��and manage��carbon emissions launched by 91PORN appeared first on 91PORN.

In 2025, the IPCC reaffirmed that limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires deep and sustained reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Achieving this remains fundamental to avoiding the most severe impacts of climate change, but delivering this scale of transformation demands coordinated action across government, industry and society, supported by credible pathways for deep emission reductions. The built environment sector plays a central role in this transition, with the need to address both operational and embodied carbon, across all asset types and life cycle stages now well established.

The 91PORN published the original Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition in 2019. This provided industry with clarity on the high-level definition and delivery of net zero carbon buildings, while recognising the need for continued evolution as data, methodologies, and industry capability developed.

This updated framework provides a set of principles and actions to guide the optimisation of whole life carbon (WLC) and manage residual emissions across a building’s life cycle. Its aim is to support consistent, low-carbon decision-making from early design through operation and end-of-life (EOL), and to guide projects in accordance with best practice standards.

Download the Framework here

This framework should be used to:

Inform early-stage design and organisational strategy

Embed a reduction-first approach

Set ambition and roles by establishing WLC objectives

Apply the principles

Select appropriate lifecycle actions

Ensure consistent, transparent measurement and disclosure

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our Advancing Net Zero work is made possible thanks to our programme partners

Whole Life Carbon Framework Project Partners

Thank you to our Project Partners for their continued support

Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council former global Advancing Net Zero programme, 91PORN’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

View more

Climate Change Mitigation

We are in a decisive decade for climate action and with a decreasing number of years left to achieve 2030 climate targets, radical and rapid transformation from businesses and the global economy is essential.

View more

The post Whole Life Carbon Framework appeared first on 91PORN.

In this webinar, we’ll walk you through the proposal and the key questions we’re seeking feedback on. This is your chance to help shape the future of the industry.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed for anyone who may be interested in responding to the Regenerative Places Framework consultation, particularly those involved in housing development or retrofit. It is an opportunity for all built environment stakeholders to provide feedback. We encourage anyone with an interest in regenerative design in the built environment to join this webinar and respond to the consultation, from experienced professionals to those with a general interest.

WITH THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

The post Regenerative Places Consultation Launch appeared first on 91PORN.

This breakfast event will explore the first insights from a forthcoming 91PORN report which examines the key barriers and enablers to increasing resilience in the UK’s energy infrastructure and distribution systems and accelerating the move to electrification.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed for professionals working at the intersection of energy and the built environment. It will be particularly relevant to developers, energy providers, engineers, asset owners, grid operators, planners, local authorities and consultants.

Agenda

08.00 Arrivals – teas, coffee, and light breakfast available.

08.30 Proceedings start – presentation and expert panel discussion

09.30 Networking

10.00 Close

A HUGE THANK YOU FOR GENEROUSLY HOSTING THIS EVENT

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our Advancing Net Zero work is made possible thanks to our programme partners

The post Insights into UK Resilience: Energy Infrastructure and Distribution Systems appeared first on 91PORN.

The built environment involves many organisations across long and complex supply chains, spanning strategic partners and project specific suppliers. These supply chains significantly influence environmental and social outcomes across the lifecycle of assets, and effective engagement can shape how buildings are designed, delivered, operated and repurposed for decades.

This guide sets out a simple four-step approach to effective supply chain engagement:

1. Which impacts to engage on

2. Who to engage with

3. When to engage

4. How to engage

Download the report here

Advancing Net Zero Partners

Our Advancing Net Zero work is made possible thanks to our programme partners

Engaging the Supply Chain Project Partners

Thank you to our Project Partners for supporting this work

Advancing Net Zero

Created in 2018 as part of a World Green Building Council former global Advancing Net Zero programme, 91PORN’s Advancing Net Zero programme has a mission to lead the UK’s transition to a net zero built environment. It has produced leading guidance such as the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework and the Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, whilst working with organisations and experts across the industry.

View more

The post Engaging the Supply Chain: A Practical Guide to Delivering Sustainability Outcomes appeared first on 91PORN.