International focus
|
FIDIC addresses sustainability issues
-
The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) launched a series of 'State of the World' reports in which it intends to highlight significant global challenges and issues and how they can be tackled. The first webinar in February 2021 considered 'the trillion-dollar investment challenge facing the global infrastructure sector'. The next, scheduled for August 2021, will consider whether, as the world marches towards achieving the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals and net zero, we should simply adapt our current way of living or think about a new way of life.
|
Consultation on environmental principles ahead of COP26
|
-
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is consulting on a draft policy statement designed to introduce five environmental principles for consideration in future policy-making as part of the Environment Bill (See Consultation launched on environmental principles.) These five, internationally recognised principles, which 'will guide future policymaking to protect the environment', are:
-
The integration principle which states that policy-makers should look for opportunities to embed environmental protection in other fields of policy that have impacts on the environment.
-
The prevention principle means that government policy should aim to prevent, reduce or mitigate harm.
-
The rectification at source principle means that, if damage to the environment cannot be prevented, it should be tackled at its origin.
-
The polluter pays principle where those who cause pollution or damage to the environment should be responsible for mitigation or compensation.
-
The precautionary principle states that, where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, a lack of scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
-
The draft policy statement under consultation sets out how these principles should be interpreted and proportionately applied throughout all government departments to help both improve environmental protection and sustainable development and ministers' understanding on interpreting and applying these principles in policy-making.
-
The Environment Bill creates a duty on government ministers to be guided by these principles and demonstrates the government's commitment to its ambitious environmental programme and to 'building back greener' ahead of the 2021 Climate Change Conference. The consultation closes on 2 June 2021 and can be found here.
|
Build Back Better plan for growth
|
-
HM Treasury has published its Build Back Better plan for growth which 'sets out the government's plans to support growth through significant investment in infrastructure, skills and innovation, and to pursue growth that levels up every part of the UK, enables the transition to net zero, and supports our vision for Global Britain'.
-
Set against the backdrop of issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper highlights: policy relating to Build Back Better (with a proposed and unprecedented economic package to support people, businesses and the economy), the economic context (the effect of the pandemic), infrastructure (a commitment to transforming the UK's infrastructure and increased investment as a central part of economic recovery); skills (the vital role of education and skills training in sustaining productivity growth and international competitiveness); innovation (to drive economic growth and improve living standards); levelling up (improving everyday life for people in areas which feel left behind); net zero (UK investment in and implementation of policies to meet targets); Global Britain (including taking advantage of the opportunities that come with our new status as a fully sovereign trading nation); and the way ahead (using this plan's ambitious objectives 'to capitalise on the UK's dynamic and open economy, tackle long-term problems and drive new growth').
-
The paper explains how the UK will achieve its net zero target by 2050, summarising what the government is doing with reference, for example, to the government's Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution.
|
Funding to support green innovators
|
-
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched three new innovation challenges 'to drive forward next generation green technologies' in key areas of the green energy sector (energy storage technology, floating offshore wind and biomass production). More than £90 million funding of the government's £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio will be available to 'green innovators' who are urged to bid for funding to develop new technologies and enable the UK to build back greener. (See Over £90 million government funding to power green technologies.)
|
Low carbon heat and the Green Gas Levy
|
-
BEIS consulted on Future support for low carbon heat in 2020 in which it set out proposals for a Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) (which would increase the proportion of green gas in the grid through support for biomethane injection) and a Clean Heat Grant (to provide support for heat pumps and, in certain circumstances, biomass through an upfront capital grant to help address the barrier of upfront cost). The GGSS was to be funded by a Green Gas Levy (GGL) applied to all GB licensed fossil fuel gas suppliers (on which a consultation ran in September 2020: Consultation on a Green Gas Levy).
-
The government's response to these consultations was published on 17 March 2021 and includes a summary of stakeholder responses. (See Future Support for Low Carbon Heat & The Green Gas Levy Government response to consultations.) The government intends to proceed with the GGSS and GGL. In relation to the GGSS, the response outlines the government decision on a 15-year tariff lifetime, a three-tier structure, the scheme's sustainability criteria and a 50% minimum percentage threshold for waste and residue feedstocks. In relation to the GGL design, the response sets out its scope, methodology for the per meter point design, frequency of levy payments, collection of meter point data and the notice period that suppliers will be given ahead of the first levy collection.
-
The government intends to publish a separate response on the Clean Heat Grant later in 2021.
|
Cash boost for environmental upgrade
|
|
Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy
|
-
BEIS published the UK's net zero Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy policy paper on 17 March 2021 (the UK is the world's first major economy to present such a strategy), setting out 'how industry can decarbonise in line with net zero while remaining competitive without pushing emissions abroad'. The strategy underlines the need for transformation of industry sectors' manufacturing processes as being key to the UK meeting its emissions targets. The paper references the construction sector as being one of the biggest purchasers of industrial products (such as steel and concrete) and provides examples such as a case study on industry initiatives to reduce emissions and the 'new tools aimed at influencing procurement decisions away from lowest cost such as the Construction Leadership Council's Procurement for Value work'. The strategy builds on the 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution.
|
Performance based policy framework for large commercial/industrial buildings
|
-
The Department for BEIS has opened a consultation Introducing a performance-based policy framework in large commercial and industrial buildings (17 March 2021). The consultation focuses 'on the government's proposals to introduce a national performance-based policy framework for rating the energy and carbon performance of large commercial and industrial buildings above 1,000m squared, with annual ratings and mandatory disclosure as a first step'. Building on international best practice and industry collaboration, the strategy paper 'outlines the rationale for the policy, its aims and proposals on how to implement it'. The consultation closes on 9 June 2021.
|
Net zero strategy at a local level
|
-
The HCLGC launched Local government and the path to net zero: new inquiry (16 March 2021) to examine the UK's strategy for meeting the 2050 'net zero' target at a local level. This will assist local governments who are responsible for a range of areas that could also play a key role in the UK's efforts to reach the net zero target, including local transport, recycling and waste disposal. The new inquiry will examine: proposals for establishing planning guidelines and building regulations to reduce the UK's household emissions; the current emphasis on heat pumps as a long-term solution to increase energy; whether other options may prove more viable; and what other, non-domestic, measures local government can take to contribute to the UK's emissions reduction targets. The inquiry closes on 30 April 2021.
|
Industry initiatives
|
-
The CLC's 2021 strategy, published 23 March 2021, prioritises the delivery of a resilient construction industry through the use of initiatives such as net zero carbon. The strategy identifies the challenges facing the industry (relating to net zero carbon buildings and infrastructure, increasing productivity and performance, and status and trust), the top three priorities (industry recovery, industry transformation and building trust) and sets out a three-year plan.
-
The CLC has launched a new initiative, ConstructZero, 'to drive carbon out of all parts of the construction sector, from manufacturing and design to construction and operation of assets'. This cross-industry change programme responds to the net zero by 2050 target and is intended to help bring the industry together in coordinating decarbonisation.
-
The CLC acknowledges the impact of the built environment on the climate and has called for the industry to 'find a way to work more effectively together' and to embrace the net zero challenge not only to survive, but also to succeed. (See the press release, 8 March 2021.)
-
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) published a report, Greening the tax system (March 2021) about a green tax policy that could help the industry achieve the net zero target. The report addresses the guiding principles of greening the tax system and considers how each environmental tax can drive the delivery of net zero by 2050.
|