Non-domestic buildings 'should be carbon neutral by 2020'

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 19-12-2007

A deadline of 2020 should be set to achieve carbon neutral non-domestic buildings, according to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC).

The organisation believes that the timeframe for the adoption of such environmentally-friendly initiatives is "challenging yet achievable".

Chief executive of the UKGBC Paul King states that the government and construction industry both need to take responsibility.

"[The] government needs to accept its responsibility to set good policy focusing on outcomes and in return industry can - and must - respond and innovate. UK-GBC members are up for ambitious targets on sustainability," he explains.

The report, Carbon Reductions on New Non-domestic Buildings, was commissioned by Communities and Local Government and suggests that the additional cost of constructing to carbon neutral standards will be between five and 30 per cent of current baseline costs.

The UKGBC was launched in February 2007 and campaigns for a sustainable built environment.