Legislation, Policies, and Industry Standards Aiming toward Net Zero in the Built Environment

The UK government has committed to achieve carbon reduction by at least 100% of 1990 levels by 2050. Nearly 40% of UK carbon emissions are linked to the built environment, particularly emissions associated with heating, building operations, and transport infrastructure operation. However, the UK government has sent inconsistent messages regarding its legal commitment to achieving net zero by 2050, with some climate change policies being rolled back in recent years. This paper provides a review of legislation, policies, and industry standards in relation to carbon emissions, sustainability, and climate change in context of the UK built environment. Expert interviews were employed to investigate the strategies and methods deployed by the industry for measuring and reducing carbon emissions. Although regulations and government frameworks boost the transition toward net zero, industry standards have become a more widely accepted method among construction stakeholders for measuring, reporting, and verifying reduction of carbon emissions within the built environment. By examining the government strategies and industry approaches, this paper provides insight into the UK’s current progress to net zero. The findings suggest that governments increasingly employ industry standards to measure, track, and disclose carbon emissions through mandate reporting mechanisms. The study sheds lights on the interplay between the prevalent industry standards and carbon regulations and policies. By emphasizing collaboration between the public and private sectors to harmonize national and regional regulatory frameworks with market dynamics, the paper contributes to a developmental trajectory for enabling more proactive carbon management strategies in the UK built environment.